Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini
by Stormwalker
Summary: Initially intended as a parody of sorts, this story has transformed into a sort of re-interpretation of mahou shoujo concepts in a real-world setting. Cosmic powers, identity crises, ancient evils, and eternal love, all wrapped up in a sailor fuku.
1. Episode One: Callings

Stormwalker presents...

Hello, my name is Jonathan Thompson. I know, I know... it sounds strange. You're wondering how a five-foot-six, redheaded, very well-built eighteen-year-old _girl_ ended up with a name like that, aren't you? It's a long story, trust me, and the real story is how a name like that ended up with this body. Confused yet? You should try living it... or maybe not.

You've probably heard of me, though you don't know it yet. I've been on the news a few times, thought he stories weren't terribly flattering. Now, I'm telling the real story, so that when everything's said and done, people will know the truth. So sit down and listen; we're going to be here a while.

* * *

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini

A work of fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Episode One - Callings

Disclaimer: This story is not set in the Sailor Moon universe, but uses concepts from that series. These concepts are used without permission, but I'm not making any money off of this, so please be merciful and don't sue me. I don't have anything to take, anyway.

* * *

It all begins about a year ago, with a DVD that one of my friends gave me. He said it was from Japan, and it was something he called "anime". He talked about how cool it was, so I took it home and watched it. The show was Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it definitely _was _cool... and a lot different from anything I'd ever seen before. I decided I could get into this anime thing, but I never knew just how much it would get into me. Pretty soon I was addicted. I had a part-time job at the time, working after school to save money for a better car. I never did get the car, but I got a lot of anime.

This stuff is like a drug. The more you get, the more you want. I figured out pretty quickly that I couldn't afford everything that I wanted to see, but I was raised better than to steal So I found a club, and met a lot of other fans like me. We'd all get together and watch something different every week... we all got to see what we wanted, and only one of us had to buy it.

Just like anything else, there's good anime and bad anime. There's also anime that isn't really good but is fun, and anime that's technically good but isn't really fun at all. Then... there's Sailor Moon. It's both good and bad, from what I had seen. Of course, that wasn't much... just the "R"f movie and a couple of episodes, but it was enough to get me hooked. Sailor Moon kinda grows on you--a lot like a cancer. The first time you watch it you laugh, because it's so silly. You might even heckle it... I know I did. The second time, though, you start to see through the silliness... and that's when it gets its hooks in you. The show actually has some depth beneath the pink sugar-heart charm. The third time I saw it... that was it. It had me.

I still hadn't seen more than a few episodes, though--the American release of the show was kinda butchered, and I couldn't afford the DVD's--and I didn't know all that much about it. Sailor Moon is one of those addictions you don't talk about if you're a guy--not with _my_friends, anyway--so I didn't have a lot of chances to see more. My first anime convention would change all of that. It was late May, right around my birthday, and though I didn't really know what to expect, I knew it would be a weekend to remember. So, off I set, looking for paradise.

If you've never been to a con, there really is no describing it. For an entire weekend some unsuspecting hotel is transformed. It's like a different world... an anime world, in every sense of the word. It's _everywhere_, from the costumes (some very good, some not so good, but all interesting) to the video rooms, to the panel discussions, if it's anime, it's there. Normal people tend to freak out a bit when they see it... but for the fans, it's as close to being there as we come.

On top of that, there is the dealers' room. Every sort of merchandise yfou can imagine, from anime, to manga, to toys, to music, to models, to computer games... and more, so much more. There's some really great stuff there... and some real crap, too... but nobody seems to be able to agree on what is the great stuff and what is the crap. Y'know the old saying about one man's junk and another man's treasure? Visit the dealers' room at an anime con, and it'll take on an entirely new meaning.

It was in the dealers' room that Sharon found me. Sharon, you see, was one of my "anime friends" from the club I had joined... and she was a Sailor Moon fan. A _big_Sailor Moon fan. To give you an idea, she was dressed up as Sailor Moon. It wasn't a half-bad costume, either... though it helped that Sharon looked the part. She had the long blonde hair and the blue eyes for it, and though she looked a couple of years older than Usagi she fit the hyper-cute mold perfectly. Her hair didn't quite go in Usagi's meatball 'do, but no human alive has anime hair, and she managed it better than most. Sharon even had that 'klutz' act down, not that it _was_ an act. I never thought someone could really be _f_ uncoordinated until I met Sharon.

"Hey, Jon!" she called out from halfway across the packed chamber. "I found something cool! Come over here!" I shrugged and started picking my way through the crowd; sometimes my opinion of "cool" didn't quite agree with hers, but it couldn't hurt to look. When I finally reached her, she thrust a small, light-blue stick into my hands. "Happy birthday!"

"It's not my birthday till next--" I started to protest, then stopped. "Is this what I think it is?" I looked at her oddly, then, wondering what had possessed her to buy me such a thing.

"Yeah! It's a transformation wand!" she answered excitedly, showing me the one she'd bought for herself as well. Hers was silver, with the tiny image of a crab embossed at one end. Mine had a pair of twins rendered in similar fashion, I noted, turning it over in my hands. "Aren't they good replicas?" she gushed. "They must be handmade!"

They were well-constructed, I had to admit. They looked _real_, so much so that I couldn't even tell what they were made from. Too heavy to be plastic, too light to be metal. Wood...? No, they didn't have a grain to them. Maybe it was a better gift than I had given her credit for. "Where'd you get these?"

"Table back that way," she answered, looking over her left shoulder. "Hey... the guy's gone!"

"Must've sold out."

"I can see why," she observed. "The price was right... but I didn't see anyone else at the table."

"Oh, well," I shrugged. "Thanks for the gift. Now come on... there's so much more to see!" As we slipped through the crowd toward one of the exits, I dropped the wand into a pocket.

Something tugged a little at the back of my mind just then, but I didn't think much of it.

*****

I saw some more Sailor Moon that night; I hadn't planned to catch that particular showing, but I just felt like it for some reason. It wasn't one of the better episodes, though, so I sort of lost track somewhere along the way. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I found the replica wand again.

There was just something about that wand... it bothered me. When I held it, I felt some kind of touch on my mind. No, more than a touch... images, and words to go with it. It was pretty disturbing, really... but I was having too much fun to worry about it. I shook my head and told myself I'd been watching too much of this stuff--not that I intended to stop. Still, I couldn't quite get it out of my head. Of course, I had other things to be concerned with... my friends and I were going to slip into one of the room parties that night.

All I'd heard from them was how fun it was, and the crazy things that happened sometimes, and how I couldn't miss it. It was a chance to do something wild, to have a little fun... and while Sharon said I was just being stupid, I'd have been remiss in my duties as a teen-aged male if I didn't get into _some_ trouble. So I went.

You have to understand; I'd never really _done_ anything blatantly stupid in my life, so I had no idea what I was getting into. No sooner had we found our way inside when my friends all seemed to vanish into the crowd, leaving me to fend for myself. No problem, I told myself. I knew what to do next. Finding my way over to one of the tables, I got myself something to drink.

That was, of course, my second mistake. My first was listening tfo my friends and going to the party to begin with, and my third was yet to come. You see, I'd never had alcohol before, and after a couple of drinks I was totally plastered. I ended up in the middle of a group of people talking about costumes, and whose were good and whose weren't. By this time, my judgement was evidently a bit clouded, because I vaguely remember holding one hand over my head, and hearing my own voice say...

"You think that's a good costume, do ya? Well... take a look at this! Gemini Star Power... make up!"

Suddenly, I was dead sober, looking at an instantly silent roomful of stunned anime fans--all of whom were staring at me as though I'd just grown a second head. Fuzzily aware of what had just happened, I looked down at myself and screamed.

Gone were the t-shirt and jeans I'd been wearing. In their place was a light-blue and white stylized sailor fuku, complete with ridiculously short skirt, tall boots, and long white gloves... and the body to match. I hadn't grown a second head, but the two rather prominent mounds that jutted out from my chest were more than enough to justify the stares. It couldn't... this couldn't be, I told myself. I looked up, at the hand raised over my head, and there was the transformation wand, slowly fading out as the lightshow effects around me dissipated. My mind froze from shock, unable to deal with what it was seeing... what it was feeling... what I had become.

I stood in stunned silence, my mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. When finally I did find a voice, though, it was even more disturbing... a soft, smooth alto tone that only hammered home what had been done to me. This wasn't my voice! This wasn't my body! "Tell me I'm dreaming..." I said almost pleadingly. "Someone tell me I'm dreaming."

Just then, the door flew open and another girl, similarly dressed, burst into the room. Grabbing me by the arm, she yelled something about being late for cosplay and literally dragged me out the door, sparing me further embarrassment. Once we were safely away, she stopped, pushing me up against the wall, yelling in my face... I still don't remember the words, being as I was in shock, but the voice shook me back to something resembling coherence. Drawing a deep breath, I

looked up into the face of my rescuer. It was Sharon.

That was the first and last time I ever got drunk.

*****

Desperate to get away from the crowds, to find some space to think, we trudged out to my car. On the way out, we heard a couple of shouts of "Great costume!" and the like, but nobody really seemed to pay us that much attention. For that, I was grateful.

As we passed through the front doors of the hotel, I got a brief glimpse of my reflection in the glass. I was, well... beautiful, and that realization shook me to the core. If I'd seen myself in the halls at school, I'd have asked me out in a flash. A violent shudder passed through me then, and I'm sure I must have looked odd as I recoiled from my reflection. Sharon tugged at my arm, tearing me away from that dreadful moment, and I recovered myself and went on.

Finally reaching the car, I slumped down into the drivers seat, barely remembering to unlock the door for Sharon. Not wanting to see myself, not wanting to think about what had happened to me, I focused on her. She seemed almost as stunned as I was, blankly staring out into the parking lot as she sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, the rather short skirt of her fuku drawing my eye for a moment as it left an interesting view. I guess there was some small comfort in that--at least I still _thought_ like a guy--but I really wasn't that interested under the circumstances. Instead, my gaze moved to her face, where a single teardrop formed at the corner of her eye.

For a while we just sat like that, neither of us able to find the words we were looking for. There weren't words for this, anyway. Finally, after a while, I said, "This can't be real. This has to be some kind of crazy dream." I shivered... that voice still freaked me out.

Sharon shook her head, but still did not look at me. "It's real," she answered, her voice thin and weak and yet carrying a certainty that chilled me. "I've... dreamed of this before, and it wasn't like this. Didn't feel like this. Can't you feel the power inside you now? Dreams... dreams don't _f_ that."

I sighed, trying to defy it. I had to deny it, even as I felt the stirrings of magic within me. "It has to be a dream. I've been watching too much anime... I'm too worked up over the con. Something. This is the real world, and this just doesn't happen."

Sharon unfolded her legs, leaning forward to look up at the stars through the windshield. For several moments she sat like that... moments I will never forget. Sharon, as I'd known her, was gone... transformed. There was a presence about her that she hadn't had before, a presence that nobody had, and there was a seriousness in her eyes I'd never seen. It wasn't just the fuku, though its shimmering silver and white suited her perfectly... this was within, not without. Something had awakened inside of her, and that something was stunningly beautiful.

More importantly, though, it _was_real. Sailor Cancer. Even as I took in the wondrous transformation that had occurred in my friend, my mind added that if Sailor Cancer was real, then Sailor Gemini had to be real, too. The weight of truth bore down on me in that moment, smashing through all my denial and crushing my resistance to powder.

This really was happening.

Then she turned to me, and the spell broke. "I'm sorry, Jon," she whispered, the tears running down her cheeks. "This is all my fault. I gave you the wand, even after I felt the power in my own."

I shook my head slowly, trying to take everything in. It was too much. Magic come to life, Sharon's transformation... my own, even more startling one. "It... it can't be your fault, Sharon," I stammered. "You can't blame yourself for this." My mind was running triple-time, a blaze of discovery and revelation coming too fast to interpret. This was magic... and I was unused to the way magic worked. I could feel things I shouldn't be able to feel, and see in ways I shouldn't be able to see. I fought through the mad scramble of images and sensations, searching for an answer that would give meaning to it all. "Sharon... this was... meant to be, somehow. You didn't choose the wands; they chose you. They chose us. They know us, somehow."

She nodded, and I could see something change in her eyes then. "In the series... they don't work for just anyone."

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling a new weight descend on my shoulders. "Which means I'm stuck with this. It's fate."

"Jon..." she whispered, reaching out to touch my shoulder. I pulled away, knowing she could not understand why, knowing it hurt her, but unable to do anything else. This body felt things differently, and I didn't want to be reminded of it. "Wait," I whispered, looking for a way... I didn't want to hurt her any more than she already had been. "Let me try..." I concentrated, and felt a warmth flow over my body. I didn't have to look at myself then to know; even if Sharon's worried look hadn't relaxed, I could feel the difference as I returned to my natural form. "OK... I can change back, then." Looking at the little wand that had brought me all this trouble, I sighed. "It's not... too bad, then. Maybe I won't have to use it."

Even as I forced a smile with the words, though, the new voice in my mind knew better.

*****

End Episode One

* * *

Notes (27 May 2009):

If certain aspects of this story seem out of date, it's because I started writing it in 2001 or so. I've tried to fix most of the dated stuff.

This story was originally inspired by John Biles' "Senshi: The Merchandising", and was intended to operate on a similar concept, but it's deviated from that substantially in execution.

When I started the story, to be honest, I had no idea where I was going to go with it. The first chapter was basically a spamfic that got great response from the FFML, and I decided to turn it into a real story. Though the story retains its humorous elements throughout, it grew into a much larger, more dramatic, and more romantic tale than I ever imagined that it would.

This version of Episode 1 has had some revisions to try to bring it a little closer to the standards set by later chapters (and to fix some little continuity issues), but there's only so much I could do to improve it. Trust me, it gets better from here.


	2. Episode Two: Pandora's Box

Stormwalker presents...

Morning came, and while I remembered the previous night's events clearly, they seemed distant, like a dream that hovers at the edge of your memory. Even so, I found myself paying a lot more attention to the Sailor Moon paraphenalia. The manga, the anime... anything I could find that might tell me more, I was snapping up from the tables. I spent the rest of my con money buying everything in sight and I planned my schedule around when Sailor Moon was on in the anime rooms. It's amazing how powerful of a motivator raw panic can be.

I'm sure it must have seemed unusual, because I got more than my share of funny looks when walking around with a big bag full of Sailor Moon stuff. Thankfully, none of my good friends saw me... I don't have the slightest idea how I would have explained that away. Finally, I got sick of the stares and took it all out to the car. It was there that I bumped into Sharon again.

"Hi, Jon!" she called out, running across the parking lot to meet me. She seemed her usual cheerful self, and I wondered why that would surprise me... after all, she'd gotten what she'd always wanted, hadn't she? When she got a little closer, though, I could see that there was something else in her eyes... concern... maybe fear? Once she was close enough for discreet conversation, she lowered her voice and asked, "How are you holding up?"

"Fine," I answered, giving a weak smile. At that, she hugged me suddenly, catching me off-guard. I froze for a moment in surprise, then recovered myself and hugged her back, whispering, "I'm fine, really. It just... well... I'm trying not to think about it, y'know?"

She smiled gently, pulling back a little. "Yeah... did you bring it with you?"

I nodded, patting my jacket where the wand was resting in an inside pocket. It was a little hot for a jacket, really... but I had needed a good place to conceal the wand, and at an anime convention who was going to notice someone being dressed a little funny? "Yeah, I brought it. Don't ask me why... but I don't feel quite right if I leave it behind."

"Me, too," she agreed. She paused, considering that for a moment, and added, "I've got a funny feeling about this, though..."

I shook my head. "Let's try not to think about that. I've got a funny feeling, too, but it's just telling me I need to get some food. Come on... one of my friends has some snacks in his room. Let's go."

* * *

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini

A work of fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Episode Two - Pandora's Box

Disclaimer: While this story isn't set in the "world" of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, it uses many of the concepts from that series. Clearly, I don't own Sailor Moon, nor do I have permission to borrow from it. I make no effort and have no desire to profit from this work; it is written purely for my own amusement (and hopefully that of my readers).

As always, comments are appreciated...

***********************************************************************

Once we'd dropped in and snagged something to eat, we headed back down to the dealers' room again. There was still more Sailor Moon merchandise I wanted to look at, and the search was welcome distraction from more pressing thoughts. Something was still tugging at the back of my mind, leaving me ill at ease, and I couldn't quite place it. It would come to me eventually, I decided... probably right after I needed it.

Sharon seemed a little uneasy as well, but when I asked her about it she just shrugged and went back to her browsing. She was being unusually quiet; usually she was a very energetic, animated girl, but she'd hardly said a word since we'd met that morning... that told me more than anything she might say. Somehow I had this premonition that Murphy was about to strike. I was, of course, right.

We'd been in the dealers' room for most of an hour when the screaming started. There were people yelling, too, a stream of profanity and something about a monster. A loud crash followed, then another, the sounds coming from the art show room next door. My thoughts reeled as I tried to process what was happening... this couldn't be real... it couldn't be! Another scream tore through the now-silent room as everyone turned in horror. That one was definitely female... and young, I thought--and the sheer terror of the sound chilled me to the bone.

Sharon and I glanced at each other, needing no words to communicate our shared thought, and started to work our way through the crowd to the exits. I wasn't thinking then... I didn't have time to think, I just acted on instinct. Ducking into a side room, we closed the door behind us. I took a deep breath then, and I pulled the wand out of my pocket.

It was then, staring at this innocent-looking little trinket that the shock effect of hearing those screams abruptly died. My mind raced; if I did this, it meant that I was accepting what it made me... that I was choosing it willingly. Could I do this? Could I open Pandora's Box and take on this curse in exchange for the hope of power? Could I be what it asked... no, demanded that I be?

Another terrified scream sliced throgh my thoughts, melting my resistance like wax under a particle beam. There were *lives* on the line, and whether I could do it or not was irrelevant. There was no choice... only fate. Lifting the wand up over my head, I whispered the words that bound me to my destiny.

"Gemini Star Power, Make Up!"

Warm light washed over me as the magic took hold, working its will on me. If the change had seemed instantaneous before, this time that moment seemed to drag out into an eternity. I could *see* myself change this time, my body fading, turning translucent as it shifted into its new form. I could *feel* myself growing shorter, feel hard angles becoming soft curves, feel my chest expand, and other things shrink and disappear. It was both pleasant and sickening, this feeling, and no words I can give you could describe it fully. Then, finally, it was done, and an involuntary shudder passed through me. Forcing down a sudden wave of nausea, I took a few breaths to collect myself before glancing at Sharon.

"You ok, Jon?" she asked anxiously, resting a hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head, trying to clear it, then whispered, "No... but there's no time for that. Let's get this over with." She nodded, and we ran for the art show room. The situation when we arrived was total chaos. The double doors had been torn off their hinges, and part of the wall around them was buckled as well... whatever had done this was strong. There were people out in the hall... a couple of girls huddled up in a corner, scared out of their wits, some guy dressed up as a Dragonball character standing there babbling about hentai demons. I stepped past them into the doorway... and stopped dead in my tracks.

I won't even try to describe the... thing that I saw there, except to say that it was straight out of the worst of tentacle anime. It was making a wreck out of the art show, smashing displays and the like, but that was the least of our concerns. It had taken two girls--one of them couldn't be older than sixteen--and was terrorizing them, toying with them. Its intentions were obvious... their clothes were shredded, hanging in tatters and not realy covering anything anymore. We had arrived just in time... the monster was still playing games, but it looked like it was about to get serious.

I didn't think; I just acted. Words, spoken in my voice, echoed through the room as I called upon the power given to me. How I knew them, and where they came from, I may never know... but the moment I remember very clearly.

"Gemini Division Blade!" I called out, extending my hands to unleash a spinning blade of solid air. Guided by my subconscious will, it slashed through the air, neatly slicing off the most offending of the beast's appendages before dissipating. The monster recoiled with a hideous roar, black blood spilling from the severed tentacles Then, dropping its playthings in a heap, it turned to stare at me...

...and suddenly, in that single, terrifying instant, I realized that I didn't have the slightest clue how my powers worked. I shot a quick glance at Sharon, sho shrugged back at me, and I felt a chill run down my spine as the monster started to advance on me. If I didn't think of something quick, I was going to end up like those other two girls... and so would Sharon. I couldn't let that happen. I had to stall it somehow... had to remember what little I knew about Sailor Moon.

"Sorry, ugly," I said as it moved toward me. "But I just can't let you do that. No means no, after all." I was fighting not to tremble, but a spark of anger had been lit in my soul, and I was not about to back down. I narrowed my eyes, dropping into a fighting stance, and a feral grin displaced the anxiety on my face. I could do this. After all... it was my power. My weak girl-voice changed as I spoke again, finding an edge I didn't know it could have. "Unfortunately for both of us," I said threateningly, feeling a surge of confidence with the words, "I'm the lovely soldier Sailor Gemini... and for making me wear this ridiculous costume, I'm gonna kick your ass!" It paused, evidently as surprised by the sudden change in my tone as I was. Where the boldness had come from, I still don't know. Maybe it was the anger. Maybe it was some force, like the powers, that I'll never understand. Maybe it was that I just couldn't stand there and let something like what I'd just seen go unpunished. Whatever it was, the beast seemed to respect it, granting me a few precious seconds before it decided to charge.

When finally it did attack, I was ready. The knowledge (or was it memory?) of how to use my powers was coming back to me, and I knew what I had to do. The monster rushed straight at me, surprisingly quick for a creature of its size, but in this body I was faster and stronger than I had ever thought possible. Leaping upward, I flipped over its "head" and kicked it hard from behind. It pitched forward, slamming into the wall where it had sought to pin me, and I slipped back out of its grasp as it turned.

This time it shot a mass of tentacles at me, trying to ensnare me in the typical H-monster fashion. I dodged, scarcely managing to evade the slimy appendages, and kicked it hard again. This time, though, it reacted more quickly, capturing my ankle and pulling me off my feet. I hit the floor with a thud, scrambling to escape as it started to pull me in.

"Soul Shield!" I heard Sharon's voice call out, seemingly distant, and a gold aura momentarily flickered to life around me. Two more of the monster's tentacles reached for me, only to be stopped short by the energy shield, and finally I was able to kick free of the one which grasped my ankle. I stumbled backwards, leaning on a wrecked table to get back to my feet.

A shudder of revulsion passed through me as the monster laughed and advanced on me again. After all, I was a girl now, too... and based on what I'd already seen, I had a pretty good guess what this... this... *thing* had in mind. "Not today," I whispered, meeting its devilish gaze. I knew now... it had all come back to me. Raising my arms above my head, I called out, "TWIN IMAGE!"

Time seemed to stop, as somehow I had known it would. Warm light flooded my surroundings, as it had with the change. Numbness first, followed by a strange tingling, seemed to wash over my body, until every nerve was afire with the sensation. I looked down to see myself divide, splitting into two exact and identical copies. The lights started to fade, and feeling came back to me... and to me. It was an odd sensation being in two places, in two bodies at once. I saw through two sets of eyes, heard through two sets of ears... the amount of information I was taking in was staggering, and my mind automatically devoted a section of my thoughts to managing the input.

Suddenly I was aware of both Sharon and the monster staring at me. The shock didn't last very long, though, and soon the creature was upon me again. My double and I dove in opposite directions as the monster smashed through the partition behind us, crashing in a heap on the other side. A chorus of screams quickly followed from that room, and I shot a quick glance at Sharon.

"The dealers' room," Sharon breathed, her eyes widening.

"We've got trouble," I answered. "Try to protect the bystanders; I'll..." I glanced at my double and smiled. "I mean *we'll* take it out." She nodded, and the two of me leapt through the wrecked partition and back into the fray.

Evidently these monsters have short memories, because it had forgotten about us already. The trail of destruction it left behind stretched halfway across the room, and it had managed to capture yet another girl in its slimy clutches. "Division Blade!" i called out, this time forming a knife in my hands and slashing my way through to the demon's body. My double, following my subconscious wish, grabbed the would-be victim as I cut her free, pulling her away while I struggled to finish the fight.

The monster lashed out with everything it had left, catching my right wrist and left ankle and lifting me into the air. I grimaced in pain as it started to pull, my shoulder and hip screaming in painful protest as a third tentacle wrapped itself around my thigh. I shuddered violently with disgust, knowing what would come next, and gripped the air-knife tightly in my left hand. I would have only one shot at this. It lifted me up toward its mouth, thinking me helpless, and I drove the blade into its head. The beast roared hideously in pain, then seemed to flicker... and suddenly vanished, dropping me in a heap on the floor. Where it had been, there now lay only an unconscious otaku in a red baseball cap. I let the knife dissipate, pulling myself up to one knee to look him over... he seemed all right, no hint of wounds... what the hell had happened? Whatever it was, it was over now. I shivered once, then closed my eyes, willing my double image to rejoin.

Sharon walked up to me, moving with a weariness that belied her seemingly small involvement in the fight. "You ok, Gem?" she asked. I looked up, startled by the nickname, then nodded. Of course... she couldn't call me by my real name in this body. She smiled at me, and a flash of unreadable emotion flickered momentarily in her sapphire eyes. She placed a hand on my shoulder, whispering a single word. "Lifestream."

I was bathed in a soft light then, and I felt a little of my energy return. At the same time, though, Sharon seemed to weaken slightly, leaning now on my shoulder. "Are *you* all right?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she smiled weakly. "My powers... seem to drain from my own energy, and I had to help a few people who were hurt. It'll replenish itself in a while, though... it's just tiring." Glancing down at the young man laid out on the floor before us, she asked, "What do we do about him?"

I shook my head. "No idea. I don't think that monster was really him, but..."

Sharon... no, Sailor Cancer, I reminded myself--I had to start thinking of her that way--sighed. "At any rate, we should get him out of here. If he does go ballistic again, we can keep him under control. If not, it'll save him some embarrassment when he wakes up."

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed, leaning down to pick him up. He seemed surprisingly light, especially considering how tired I was; I assumed that meant I was just stronger in my Senshi form... there was irony... I turn into a girl and get tougher, stronger, and faster. Just what I always wanted.

*****

It took some doing, but we managed to get him out of there. Luckily for him, pretty much everyone had fled the scene. Nobody but us had seen him change back, so we just convinced anyone on the scene that the monster was gone, and that the otaku in question was just an innocent bystander that had been knocked out during the scuffle. At any rate, we finally got him up to my friend's room, where we laid him out on the bed and sat down to decide what to do with him.

Sailor Cancer slumped down into one of the chairs wearily, pushing a few loose strands of her golden hair from her eyes. The sapphire-blue of those eyes shimmered with magic in her Senshi form, almost hiding the weariness that lay behind them. She really was beautiful, something in the back of my mind told me, even as exhausted as she was, and I quietly wondered for a few moments why I had never noticed it before. Still, this wasn't the time for such thoughts... there was too much else going on. I dropped into the other chair, gazing at her a few moments longer before tearing my eyes away to glance at our unconscious guest.

"So..." I asked. "What do we do when he wakes up?"

She shrugged. "Maybe we should change back... if he was possessed, he might not remember anything, and waking up to the two of us might be a disturbing experience."

I shook my head vehemently. "Uh-uh. He might not remember, but if he does, he *might* figure out who we are, and I am *not* taking that chance." I saw the look on her face, and added, "Just because nobody ever recognized the Senshi in the anime doesn't mean we can assume that we have the same protection. This is the real world... and people are not that stupid."

"True," she sighed, though the look in her eyes said she might be inclined to challenge that last part. "Besides, he might go nuts on us again, and then we'd have to change right in front of him. Better to avoid that."

"Right," I agreed, trying to think of something else to say. A few moments passed in silence, my thoughts running in circles. There were things to be said... plenty of them... but before I could put anything into a coherent thought I was distracted by a soft groan from the bed. "Sounds like he's coming around," I observed.

He groaned again, then mumbled, "What a dream." Stirring slightly, he opened his eyes. He slowly sat up, stretching a little as though from a long nap... then he looked in our direction and nearly fell off the bed. "Oh, shit," he breathed, trembling violently at the sight of us. "Tell me I'm still dreaming..."

"'Fraid not," I answered, shaking my head. He shivered again at my tone, and I almost... almost... felt sorry for him then. But not quite. "You weren't dreaming before, either."

"This isn't real," he insisted, stubbornly clinging to his denial. "This is some sort of joke... maybe I'm hallucinating. Yeah, that's it." He cast his eyes downward, unwilling to meet my gaze, laughing nervously. "I've been watching too much hentai."

I leaned forward to glare at him, and that was when I realized exactly where his gaze had traveled. I was a guy, regardless of how I might have looked at the moment... and sitting properly in a skirt was something that nobody had ever bothered to teach me. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and rage as I abruptly snapped my legs together, cutting off his view. "You slime," I snarled. "I'm just about ready to believe that you did all that on purpose."

His head shot back up, a look of abject terror in his eyes. "Don't hurt me!" he pleaded fearfully. "I didn't know... I thought it was a dream, really!" He pushed himself backward across the bed, trying to put some distance between us. I stood up, still glaring at him, and suddenly Sharon was on her feet, holding out her arm in front of me.

"Don't, Gem," she whispered so that only I could hear her. "He didn't know. I can tell." I looked at her questioningly, and she relaxed a little. "I'll explain later. Let him go... you've scared him enough already, and he's not going to do any more harm."

I paused a moment, then sighed, the anger draining away in the face of Sharon's pleading gaze. I couldn't refuse her when she was like that... all compassion and convicton and certainty about what was right. "All right, I trust you." I said softly. Not bothering to look at our perverted guest, I raised my voice again and said, "You can go now, but if I catch you looking at me that way again I'll kick your ass twice as hard as last time. Clear?"

"C-clear," he stammered, and I heard him stumble his way to the door. It opened, then slammed loudly, and I looked to be sure he was gone.

"Damn him," I muttered, turning back to Sharon. She pulled me into a hug, and while I didn't return it I felt the last of my anger drain away. For a few moments she held me there, leaving me wondering how it was that she could have such an affect on me, and when she finally released me she stepped back to meet my gaze.

"Thank you for trusting me," she said quietly.

I sighed, dropping back into my chair. "If I don't trust you, who can I trust?" Not wanting to seem like a total pushover, I asked, "Now... you were going to explain?"

She found her own chair, and clasped her hands in her lap. "Yeah, I don't know how... but I can sense things about people in this form... like I can see into their souls or something. What I sensed in him... he's sick, no doubt there... but he wasn't *evil* like that thing we fought with."

I looked at her doubtfully, but found that I couldn't disbelieve her. "Ok... I'll take your word for it. You think he was possessed, then?"

"I guess so, yeah," she answered. For a few moments, neither of us spoke, and I leaned back wearily in my chair. The events of the last hour had left me stunned... I guess I should have known that where there were Senshi there would be monsters... but I hadn't really had that much time to think about it. Now I did... and the thought was disturbing.

"We're going to have to train."

She nodded. "And look for others. In the anime, there's a Senshi for each planet... do we have one for each sign? And if we do, how will we find them?"

I shook my head, trying not to let it all overwhelm me. Monsters, other Senshi... I really was stuck with this, wasn't I? "I don't know," I answered quietly, more to my own question than hers. "I really don't know."

*****

Regardless of the insanity that my life was quickly becoming, there were certain priorities that remained unchanged. One of those was, of course, food. Whether or not McDonalds technically qualified, it was close to the hotel and I didn't feel like driving very far, so that was where we went. At any rate, I had a funny feeling from the moment I walked in the door.

I glanced at Sharon, and when she did not seem to notice anything unusual I decided it was probably just paranoia, and said nothing. Still, I kept my eyes open, and it was after we had gotten our food that I noticed the two girls sitting in a corner booth. One was a redhead, and even when she was seated I could tell she was tall. Her green eyes were dark and serious, and while her manner of dress was a bit on the provocative side, her expression was all business.

The girl sitting across from her, though, was the one who really drew my attention. Her medium-length brown hair fell loosely around her shoulders, framing soft features that wore an anxious expression. Her attire was both expensive and suggestive, a tight, low-cut red silk blouse and a black leather jacket and pants. She was twirling something nervously between her fingers, a small, pink cylindrical object that looked vaguely familiar. The tugging in the back of my mind intensified...

...and my train of thought was abruptly derailed when Sharon's elbow jabbed me in the ribs. "That's a transformation wand!" she hissed. "Look!"

"I see, I see," I answered under my breath. "Are you sure, though? I can't tell from here."

She nodded to me. "Pretty sure. Only one way to find out, though... let's go." Not waiting for my response, she walked over toward their table. I started to protest, but it was too late to stop her, so I just followed along behind. When she reached the table, she turned to the redhead and said, "There aren't any free tables... do you mind if we sit here?"

I sighed softly, trying not to let my embarrassment show as the girl in the booth looked us over. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said, seemingly irritated. The brunette looked up at me as well, and our gazes locked for a moment. My eyes moved to her hand, which had closed around the object, but enough of it stuck out for me to tell clearly... it was, indeed, a transformation wand.

Sharon evidently saw it as well, because she reached into her own pocket. "I think it is a good idea," she said softly, and yet her voice held an air of command I had never heard in it before. She drew the hand out, holding her own transformation wans out for the others to see. "I think we need to have a talk. Senshi to Senshi."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "All right," she answered quietly. Her eyes moved to me then, and she added, "Why should he be here, though?"

I stiffened, irritated by her presumption. She was pushing hard, and she didn't have the right. You didn't hear what happened this afternoon, did you?"

She turned to me, her eyes narrowing as she studied me for a moment. "No..." she answered, her tone almost threatening. "I didn't."

I smirked slightly, hoping my mask of confidence would hold up. "There was a fight at the con today... in the dealers' room, no less. I would have thought you would have heard of it. Some kind of... creature... went on a rampage. It was brought down by a pair of girls in sailor suits."

"Meaning?" the redhead challenged. "I assume that your friend here was one of them... where is the other, and where do you come in?"

I sighed and reached into the inside pocket of my jacket. Drawing out the wand, I laid it on the table, pressing it beneath my fingertips. "Does this answer your question?" I asked coldly.

The brunette's eyes went wide, and while she said nothing the shock was clearly evident on her face. For a moment, she simply stared at me, before she realized she was gawking and looked away. The redhead, on the other hand, sighed deeply, leaning her forehead on her palm. "No... please tell me you're Tuxedo Kamen."

I shook my head miserably, looking down at the floor for a moment before I was able to meet her gaze. "If only," I sighed.

She groaned in dismay. "You've got to be kidding... but you're not, are you? When I went out looking for other Senshi, this is NOT what I expected to find."

"I'm sure," I answered with a wry smile. "But we don't always get what we want, do we? Believe me, I don't like it any more than you... but the power chooses us, not the other way around." I paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. "Now... I don't believe we've introduced ourselves. I'm Jonathan... Sailor Gemini, whether I like it or not. She's Sharon... Sailor Cancer. You?"

"Damn," she whispered. "All right. This is Cali," she indicated her companion. "She's Sailor Taurus. I'm Sailor Aries... my name's Ashley, but everyone calls me Ash." She sighed, and shook her head. "What a mess. I think... I think we'd better go somewhere more private to discuss this." Slipping out of the booth, she said, "Come on... let's go."

**********

End Chapter Two

* * *

Next Episode: The sparks fly as Sailor Aries insists she should run the show! I'm asking myself some tough questions about what exactly this all means, and Sharon confronts her feelings and mine. Can we put aside our personal issues and work together when more monsters show up? Next Time, For Love and Justice! And you thought being surrounded by beautiful girls would be fun.


	3. Episode Three: For Love and Justice

Stormwalker presents...

I sighed as the transformation finished, still not at all comfortable with my Senshi girl-form. Ash had insisted on seeing it before she would believe what I had to say. Now, of course, both she and Cali were staring open-mouthed at me, and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks with embarrassment. "Happy now?" I asked bitterly, dropping into a nearby chair.

Cali smiled at me in an attempt to cheer me up. "Actually, I was thinking that you make a pretty cute girl... not that you're a bad looking guy, either..." Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and I had to wonder exactly what she was thinking.

I blushed a little more. "Um... thanks, I guess," I mumbled. I wasn't sure I wanted to be thought of as a "cute" girl... that led in all sorts of directions I didn't want to be going. Still, a compliment was a compliment, I supposed.

Sharon laughed, and Ash shot a quick glare in her direction. That was all the reminder I needed that I didn't particularly like Sailor Aries.

"Ok, I've proven myself," I said. "How about you two?"  
Cali grinned. "I think you just want to watch me transform," she said teasingly. Pulling out her henshin wand (as Aries had insisted we call them), she held it up over her head. "Taurus Star Power, Make Up!"

I won't deny that it was an impressive sight, though I was trying not to watch. Taurus was... well, she had a very nice body, and it was difficult to keep my eyes off of it during the transformation sequence. While not *completely* revealing due to the lightshow effects (a fact for which I was *very* thankful since I had become a Senshi myself), it certainly showed enough to be highly distracting. The knowledge that she was watching *me* to see if I was watching her helped, though. I had enough problems with changing sex; the last thing I wanted was for them to think I'm a pervert, too.

When it stopped, Sailor Taurus looked every bit the part. Her white fuku was trimmed with pink, the color of her sign, with short boots unlike mine and Sharon's. She struck a typical Sailor Moon pose, grinning at me. "Do I need to make a speech, too?" she asked, teasing.

Sharon shot a dark look at me, and for some reason I shivered. "Um... that won't be necessary." Turning to Ash, I prodded, "What about you?"

"I fail to see why I should have to transform in front of you to satisfy your adolescent fantasies," she said coldly.

I rolled my eyes. "Skip the righteous indignation kick, Ash," I growled. "You made me transform in front of you, and mine is no less revealing than yours, I'm sure." I sighed, turning to Taurus. "You've seen her transform, I assume? If you'll vouch for her, and she'll show me her henshin wand, I'll accept that as proof."

Cali nodded. "She's for real, yeah." Turning to Ashley, she added, "Gemini has a point, you know."

Ash mumbled something under her breath, then flipped the wand in my direction. I snagged it in the air with my left hand, then looked it over carefully. It was red, and bore the sign of the ram... otherwise, it was much like mine. Satisfied of its authenticity, I tossed it back to her. "I assume," I asked pointedly, "that since you don't want to transform in front of me, you won't be asking Sharon to, either? You've already seen her henshin wand."

She just glared at me. "Whatever."

I smiled as cheerfully as I could manage, unwilling to let my irritation with Ash show any more than it already had. "Well, then. Now that we've established our identities... what next?"  
"Well, we had been out looking for more Senshi," Cali answered. "We should probably keep searching."

I nodded. "True... logic suggests that there will be twelve." Turning to Ash, I suggested, "We should also look into training, of sorts... to familiarize ourselves with our powers, and with working as a group."

Ash sighed. "The Senshi didn't have to train, why should we?" she asked sharply.

I found myself suddenly wondering if she had any common sense at all. "In this world, Ash, we ARE the Senshi... and our world is a little different from the one in the anime, or the manga. If we assume that everything will be the same, we're dead."

"Why should we assume that things are different?" she retorted angrily.

"I'm not assuming anything," I answered, trying to rein in my frustration with her. "I just think we need to be prepared for any situation. We don't know what we're going to be up against, after all."

Ash sighed. "All right," she grumbled. "Since you seem to be so bent on this, we'll train. Looking for other Senshi has to be our first priority, though."

I shrugged. "I can live with that." Ash relaxed a little at those words, but I could tell she was not accustomed to having her orders questioned. She would have to get used to it.

* * *

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini

A work of fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Episode Three - For Love and Justice

Disclaimer: While this story isn't set in the "world" of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, it uses many of the concepts from that series. Clearly, I don't own Sailor Moon, nor do I have permission to borrow from it. I make no effort and have no desire to profit from this work; it is written purely for my own amusement (and hopefully that of my readers).

As always, comments are appreciated...

* * *

Back to being myself, and very happy about that fact, I set down my tray and prepared to finally attack my lunch. It was, as would be expected, typical burger-joint fare. This was, after all, an anime convention, and even if I had more pressing things on my mind, I was still at the hotel. I'd already wasted money on one lunch I hadn't gotten to eat, and since the hotel restaurant was prohibitively expensive... it was fast food or nothing. Sharon sat down across from me, wearing a thoughtful expression.

"What is it, Sharon?" I asked. Sharon was usually, well... careless, both in the sense of not being cautious when she should and of not letting things worry her, so seeing her with such a serious look was unusual... not that the events of the last two days hadn't been sufficient cause.

She shook her head. "It's nothing, really," she answered, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about Ash and Cali. I mean, I should have known there would be others, but..." She shook her head.

"...but you didn't plan on running into them so soon." I finished the thought. "Yeah, I know. Didn't think they'd be so... abrasive, either. Well, not 'they'... Cali seems nice enough, but Ash seems to think it's her divine right to boss us around. And some of those ideas of hers... all I know is *I'm* not taking orders from her."

Sharon laughed, and her earlier concerns seemed to fade. "You've never taken orders from anyone, Jon... wouldn't think you would start now. Still... what *are* we going to do? I mean, according to Ash we all live in the same area, so we should be able to keep in touch... but if we're going to act as a group, we've got to figure out who's in charge and all."

"I know," I answered with a sigh. "This isn't going to be pretty, Sharon. We may not be able to work it out at all. I never wanted this... I never wanted these powers, and I sure didn't want the responsibility... but now I'm stuck with it, and if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. Even if it means I have to go it solo."

Sharon nodded. "Not solo... I'm with you, at least. I don't know anything about fighting or strategy or any of that... but I know that I trust you, and since I dragged you into this the least I can do is back you up."

I smiled reassuringly. "It's not any of your fault, Sharon... I mean that. But I appreciate your support. I'm going to need it."

*****

We walked back to the hotel in silence as I pondered the implications of our situation. I was determined to do things the right way, meaning we would train for the job, but on our limited resources that would be rather difficult. Senshi powers are almost universally destructive (and in some potential cases, destructive on a universal scale!), which made collateral damage a serious consideration. At the same time, this was exactly why we needed to train... how easy would it be for an innocent bystander to get caught up in one of our battles, take a stray energy blast, and be wounded... or worse? I knew Ash didn't see it that way, but I would make her see it somehow. Presenting another problem was the fact that our powers tend to be flashy, when the last thing we needed was to draw attention to ourselves in training. If we wanted to make this work, we needed a controlled, isolated environment in which to train, and that could prove difficult to come by.

I considered a few ideas; I had family with land... quite a bit of it, actually. I dismissed that thought quickly, though. I would need permission to use that land, which would mean explaining why I needed it, and there was no way in hell I was going to tell anyone about this. I'd never live it down. Besides, there was the whole secret identity thing to deal with. Call me paranoid--I won't deny it--but there are a lot of people out there who would do a lot of nasty things to get their hands on power like ours. Thanks, but no thanks, ne? We needed to keep this quiet... something else I would probably have to explain to Ash.

On that thought, I came to another point that might be a tough sell. We didn't just need a place to train; we needed a training program. There is more to being a hero--even a magical girl, as much as the term made me wince--than power, or even the ability to control that power. We needed to learn strategy and tactics, and for that we needed not only to understand our own powers, but each other's as well. On top of that, we needed communication, something we sorely lacked. I thought back to what little I knew about combat teams (based mostly on anime I'd seen, like _Bubblegum Crisis_), and began to mentally compile a list of things we needed to work on.

Of course, there were some things we had failed to consider completely. Senshi powers are designed to work in concert. It's something you don't really pick up from watching the anime... but it is there. One Senshi has a lot of raw battle power, but she also has a lot of weaknesses. We're more durable than humans, certainly, but our enemies are numerous... and most of us are better at taking on one big target than a bunch of little ones. As a team, though, we're downright scary... like adding Senshi doesn't produce a linear increase, but more of an exponential one. It was a lesson I would have driven into me very soon.  
We were almost back to the hotel when Sharon spoke up again. "Jon..." she asked, her voice hesitant with worry. "What are we going to do when the con is over? What will we tell our parents? I mean... you're about to move out anyway for college... but I've got another year stuck at home with my family. How am I going to hide this from them, if we're off fighting monsters all the time? How am I going to get through school?"

"I don't know," I answered, wishing I had something better to offer. "I was wondering the same thing myself... how are we going to do all this without someone figuring it out. It's the old comic-book hero dilemna... except most comic-book heroes don't have to hide from their own family." I turned to rest my hand on her shoulder, meeting the anxiety in her sapphire eyes with what I hoped was certainty in my own. "We'll figure it out somehow." Forcing a smile, I added, "Look on the bright side. If they do find out, at least you don't have to explain any gender issues..."

She laughed, but the look in her eyes didn't change. I knew then what it was that had been bothering her earlier... she had her dream, only to realize that it might not be such a dream after all. "I guess you're right. I just... I'm worried about it."  
"So am I, Sharon... so am I." I hugged her then. I still don't know why I did that... it was just an impulse, I guess... I wanted to help her, and didn't know anything better to do. I remember it well, though... remember her arms closing around me, remember holding her there like that for a while. Through all the shock, I had been kinda... numb since the first change... but for that short moment... I could feel again.

And then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. The feeling was gone, and I was back to my thoughts. That moment left a mark on me, though... and on her, too, I think.

Some things you never forget.

*****

We had hoped that monster appearances would be rare, and that we could still have some semblance of a normal life. Perhaps mercifully, those hopes were quickly and completely shattered. Not one afternoon had passed before we found ourselves in another confrontation, this time with a pack of monsters. At least this time they were mostly humanoid, with two arms and two legs and no tentacles, but the green-tinged skin and glowing red eyes were disturbing in their own right, and the fact that we were outnumbered five to two didn't help, either.

"Where are all these monsters COMING from?!" Sharon demanded, wincing as an energy beam deflected off her shield, burning a hole in the pavement at her feet. "There wasn't anything like this around two days ago!"

"More possessed otaku?" I offered, unleashing an air blade at one of the creatures. It easily flipped out of the way, firing off an energy beam in response. I rolled to my right, narrowly avoiding the attack as I ducked behind a parked car. This was *really* not a good place to be fighting, I thought... the hotel parking lot was about as public as you could get, and a crowd was starting to form at what I hoped was a safe distance.

"No... they have a different feel to them." She paused for a moment, concentrating, then added. "That thing was like a demon... these are... something else." Another energy blast deflected off her shield, the golden aura flaring brightly at the point of contact, and she took cover behind another of the cars.

"Just great..." I muttered. My Senshi body was resilient--I knew that much from my fight with the tentacle monster--but I really didn't feel like finding out how well it absorbed energy attacks. Casting a quick glance at her, I asked, "Can you shield me? If I try to fight 'em without some protection, I'm gonna get roasted."

She nodded, an anxious look on her face, then whispered something. As the familiar warmth of the shield enveloped me, I noticed that the golden aura around her faded out. She was dropping her own shield to provide mine?

"Shar--I mean, Cancer... are you sure?" I asked, concerned.

She nodded quickly. "It's draining... I can only maintain one shield at a time... but I don't have any attack power, so I should be helping you instead. It's... what I'm supposed to do."

I shook my head, something inside rebelling at that thought. Still, there was nothing to be done for it now. We were pinned down, and our green-skinned friends were moving closer. If I didn't make a reduction in the monster population soon, we were in trouble. They were expecting me to come around the corner, waiting to pop me as soon as I stuck my neck out. Maybe I could surprise them a little. Pressing my hands against the back bumper of the car, I pushed suddenly down, flipping myself up and vaulting over and onto the hood.

"Division Blade!" I called out, unleashing a torrent of smaller blades that caught one of them off guard. He... I think he was a he... scrambled to evade, but the little spinning knives sliced straight through him, and he dissolved in a pile of dust. The sight of his demise stunned me a moment... in spite of what Sharon had said, I'd half-expected him to just flicker out like the tentacle beast had, leaving some poor misguided otaku in his place. But he didn't... and I had killed him, whatever he was.

The hesitation was dangerous, and I was immediately jarred by the impact of two energy blasts against my shield. The first hit square on, absorbed by the shield but still carrying enough force to knock me backwards off the car's hood. The second struck as I was falling, deflecting wide, hitting another car behind me...

... which promptly exploded in a ball of flame. The force of the blast slammed me back up against the car I'd just fallen off of as searing heat washed over me for an instant, then faded. I dragged myself back up to my knees, amazed that I was mostly unharmed, even though Sharon's shield had collapsed under the force of the blast. I tried to check on her, but the thick black smoke pouring from what had been only moments before a nice red sports coupe completely obscured my view.

"Fucking Hell!" I spat out the curse, whatever reluctance or hesitation that might have overcome me blown away by the violence of the situation. This was escalating way too fast, and I had to put an end to it, even if it meant I had to kill them all. First, though, I had to find out of Sharon was all right.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I needed to think, not just react to what was happening. We were still outnumbered and still outgunned, and if we didn't come up with a strategy, we were going to be the next to die. Creeping around the back end of the car I was still using for cover, I moved as silently as I could. It was a gamble--if they knew where I was, they might well just blow up this car, too, hoping to take me with it--but the odds were that they were as disoriented as I had been, and that was something I could use to advantage.

Just as I reached the back of the car, the smoke cleared slightly, and I was able to look over to where Sharon had been hiding. She was still there, though she had moved back a little bit. She looked exhausted--probably from the effort of shielding me in that explosion, I thought--but she was unhurt. She looked in my direction, a relieved expression crossing her face as we made eye contact for a brief moment.

It was then that something occurred to me. "Where the hell are Aries and Taurus?" I muttered. "They were in the hotel, they should have come running by now!" Even in my anger, though, it was an encouraging thought. They had to show up eventually... we just had to hold out a little longer. I could hear footsteps approaching now... the monsters were coming. I couldn't see them yet, not through the smoke, but I could hear enough to tell where at least one was... one that was going to get a surprise when he got too close.

I could feel the power coalesce in my hand as air shaped itself into a cutting edge. I gripped the blade's hilt tightly, coiling to strike as the steps drew nearer. The wind shifted a little, thinning out the smoke, and I was able to make out the monster's silhouette. Just a little closer, now...

"Blast Wave!" a voice that would soon be familiar to me called out sharply, and a ripple shot through the Earth just before me, the pavement erupting beneath the monster's feet, blasting him into the air. I ducked beneath the car I had been using for cover as fist-sized chunks of concrete and earth rained down around me. After a moment the fallout subsided, and I slid out from underneath the car, looking up at a rather... interesting view of Sailor Taurus. Either she didn't notice or didn't mind, because she grinned down at me. "Looks like you were in a bit over your head," she teased.

"Nice of you to show up," I muttered, dragging myself to my feet. I ducked behind the side of the car again, motioning for Taurus to take cover as well. The smoke was thinning now; soon it would be open season again, and there were still three more out there. "What took you so long?"

"We had to find a place to change. It is a bit on the revealing side, after all." She grinned conspiratorily at me.

"Uh-huh," I answered, deciding not to accept her bait. "There are still three more of them out there, but at least it's more of an even playing field now. Where's Aries?"

"She's with Cancer. We were hoping to set up a crossfire."

I nodded; maybe Ash wasn't entirely stupid after all. "Sounds like a good tactic to me." Motioning to the next car over, I added, "They have to know we're here by now. Let's get moving." She nodded, and we crept toward the front of the car, watching for movement. Seeing none, we leapt across the gap. Energy blasts erupted around us, narrowly missing as we both rolled to cover, and I let out a held breath.

"You were right, they know where we are," Taurus observed flatly.

"I noticed. We can't move or they'll blast us, and if we just sit here they'll blow up the car and try to take us that way."

She flashed me a wicked grin. "When I told people I like it both ways, I don't think that was what I meant. Besides, they're not my type."

I raised an eyebrow at her, then smiled slightly myself. "Well, I've never been the type to sit and take it. I say we go get 'em."

"Ooooh... the aggressive type. I like that." She winked at me. "I know Aries... she can be abrasive sometimes, but I trust her; she'll cover for us. On three, then?"

I nodded. "And it's one, two, three, and then go, not the other way. One... two... three... now!" Not wanting to go around the car where they would expect, I leapt over the hood. "Division Blade!" I called out the attack, releasing a single, large spinning blade at one one of the monsters. He sidestepped the attack, turning to fire an energy blast at me...

...and suddenly fell, engulfed in flames, as Aries stepped out from her hiding place on the opposite side. I grinned, forming another blade in my hands, and ran at one of the two remaining creatures. To my left, I heard Cali call out her attack against the other.

"Taurus Golem Charge!" A low rumble was the first response to her command, then a section of the pavement ruptured as the earth rose beneath it, rapidly taking the life-size form of a bull. It stamped once, then charged with surprising speed. The monster tried to evade, but the golem-bull was faster, catching him between the horns and ramming him into one of the nearby cars. The monster shuddered once and crumbled to dust.

One left, and he was mine. I closed my eyes, the full knowledge of what I was about to do returning to me. It had to be; there was no other way. I felt a warmth surround me as Sharon gave me a little more of her precious strength for protection... and somehow, knowing she was with me made it easier. I opened my eyes, leaping toward the monster. It slid sideways, away from my initial thrust, but could not escape the backhanded blow that followed... and it, too, was gone, leaving the battlefield empty of all but Senshi.

Ash quickly joined us, with Sharon lagging a bit behind. "Is everyone all right? she asked.

I nodded, answering for Cali also. "We're fine. What about Cancer?"

"I'm fine, too," Sharon replied as she caught up. "Just tired, like last time."

"Your powers are that draining?" Aries questioned. Sharon nodded silently, and Aries started to ask another question before I cut in.

"We'll have time for explanations later," I suggested. "For now, we need to get out of here before the cops show up. I can't speak for any of you, but I don't think trying to explain this would be a good idea. It's bad enough that there were witnesses."

Aries nodded her acquiescence. "Let's go, then. Back to my room, I think... we can lay low there for a while... and there's a TV, so we can see what the local news makes of all this."

"Nothing good, I promise," I said dryly. "I do agree, that's a good plan... but we need to go someplace away from there first, to change. We don't want anyone to track us." I offered my arm to Sharon for support, and she accepted it gratefully. "Now... let's get moving."

*****

Back in Ash's room, I gently lowered myself into one of the chairs. My whole body ached, inside and out; with the pain I was feeling, I should have been covered in bruises... but there was not a mark anywhere on me. It was just more reinforcment of something I'd already realized... Senshi bodies are tough.

At the same time, the fact that I *was* still feeling the pain was a serious disappointment. Half the reason I'd wanted to change back--aside from the secret-identity concerns--was that I had hoped switching bodies would make the pain go away. Obviously, it hadn't worked. The implications of that would have been fascinating under most other circumstances, as it meant that my Senshi body and my regular body *were* one and the same, but at that point I had little appreciation for the fact. It would be some time before I understood just how important it really was.

At that point, though, I had a number of more pressing concerns. Aside from the fact that I was hurting, I was worried about the implications of the day's events. Sharon's questions from the walk home echoed in my mind. We were Senshi. Warriors. This was going to change our lives in ways we couldn't begin to imagine. We were fated... doomed, some might say... to live a double-life, to put our own lives on the line to protect humanity from evils we'd never heard of just days before. Suddenly, in the face of having just fought a group of monsters that wanted us dead, turning into a girl just to use my powers seemed like a minor issue. That's not to say it didn't bother me... but there were other things that bothered me more.

As she does so often, Sharon seemed to sense my mood, and she rested her hand on my shoulder to draw my attention away from my fears. There was something about that touch that was comforting, as though she had taken a little of my fear and given me a little of her strength in that moment... something else I would not understand the significance of until later. I looked back up at her, forcing a smile, surprised at the steadiness of her gaze as she met mine.

Minutes passed in silence, as each of us seemed to consider the implications of what had just passed. Finally, Aries picked up the TV remote from her nightstand and turned on the news.

"--Hotel where a scene has unfolded that can only be described as 'unreal'," the reporter droned in her best 'I-am-an-objective-journalist-I-am-not-stunned-by-what-I-just-saw' voice. "We have several eyewitness reports of what seems to have been a battle of sorts between a number of high-school and college-age girls and what has been described as 'a pack of demon monsters'. Ordinarily, I might think this absurd, but you can see the damage left in the wake of this clash behind me, with one car in the parking lot completely demolished, and several others scorched or smashed."

"Brenda, hold on a moment," the anchorman interrupted her. "Could you please repeat that? You said it was a fight between high-school age girls and demon monsters? This is, as you said, rather... difficult to believe."

"Dan, I have here one of the eyewitnesses to the situation. She is an attendee at the animation festival and convention being held at this hotel, and she claims to have seen the entire altercation." The camera then shifted to a girl who looked to be about fifteen years old, wearing a con badge, as the reporter asked, "Your name is Angela, right?" The girl nodded. "Can you tell us what you saw?"

"Yes," Angela answered. "These monsters... I think there were six of them, but I'm not sure... were all out here in the parking lot threatening people, shooting beams of energy at cars... they beat up a couple of guys who tried to stop them; the paramedics took those guys to the hospital. Then the Sailor Senshi showed up..."

"Sailor Senshi?" the reporter echoed questioningly. "Were those the girls that fought the monsters?"

Angela nodded. "Yes... there's a show about them called Sailor Moon... but these were different than the ones in the show. They used different powers, and had different color outfits. I..." the girl shook her head slightly, words coming out in a stream as she tried to make sense of what she had seen. She told the story about as well as she could be expected to be, I guess... she got most of the details right, even though the reporter kept stopping her and asking her to explain stuff. I guess I can't blame people for not wanting to believe in all this... at the time, I'd rather have not believed it myself. Sometimes I still would.

Finally, the girl finished telling her story, and the reporter picked it up again. "--not really sure what to think, Dan," she said, visibly shaken now. "Whatever happened here was clearly not a show or a fake... the police are here investigating it now, and two young men were indeed taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The kind of powers involved in this are frightening at best."

"Does anyone know what happened to these girls who supposedly fought these monsters?" the anchorman asked. "Have the police taken them in for questioning?"

The reporter shook her head. "No, eyewitness accounts indicated that the girls left the scene immediately after the fight. Nobody seems to have been able to give a good description of them except for their colorful outfits, so the police say there is little chance of finding them. From what everyone here tells me, the girls are heroes of a sort, like out of a comic book or a movie. But how can we really tell?"

"How, indeed? We'll continue to fill you in on this story as more details--" the anchorman's voice was cut off abruptly as Ash switched off the TV angrily.

"Idiots," she muttered. "What else would we be? We fought off a pack of monsters. Does that make us the badguys?"

"Easy, Ash," I said as soothingly as I could manage. "These people have never seen monsters, remember? They don't know what to think of all this. People are gonna be confused, and we're just gonna have to do our best to stay on the high ground so people can see us for what we are."

She sighed deeply. "I guess. I'm just... it makes me mad that we just saved a lot of people, and they talk about us like we're just as bad as the monsters."

"Yeah, you're both right," Cali said wearily from where she lay on her bed. "It sucks, but it's gonna be this way, at least for a while until we can prove we're really on the side of the angels, so to speak. And it may always be this way... some people are always gonna be scared of us, you know."

I felt Sharon rest both her hands on my shoulders, leaning on me a bit as she spoke. "That's part of why we have to help them, too. They're afraid of us... but they'll be afraid of the monsters more... and fear just makes the monsters stronger."

I looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head slightly. "I'm not... exactly sure. It's just something I could tell... when we were afraid of the monsters, they were stronger than when we weren't. It's why we could beat them so quickly once we were all there."

"And here I thought it was just good tactics," I said dryly, but I could see in Sharon's eyes that she really believed what she was saying... and for some reason, I couldn't argue with her. "I'll take your word for it, though... demons and such traditionally are said to feed on human fear and suffering... maybe these monsters do, too."

"Whatever," Ash muttered, laying back on her bed. "At least we know the disguise effect works."

I shook my head. "We can't assume that after one fight. Just because nobody got a good look at us this time doesn't mean anything. What happens when a news crew actually gets film of us in action, hmm? Can we fool a camera? I think we should assume not, and take some precautions at least."

"Why are you worried about it, girly-man?" Ash shot back. "They couldn't recognize you anyway!"

I bit my lip, trying to contain my anger, but it wasn't working very well. I started to stand up to leave, but Sharon's weight on my shoulders pushed me back down into my chair. "Calm down, Jon," she whispered into my ear, then looked up at Ash. "That was uncalled for, Ashley."

"Yeah, whatever," Aries answered dismissively. Whatever effect Sharon's gaze might have on me, Ash seemed perfectly able to ignore it. Even with that, though, she lay back on her bed and fell silent.

"We need to get some rest," Sharon said softly. "All of us. It's been a long day already, and it's wearing on me, too."

Cali nodded, glancing meaningfully at Ash. "I think we can all agree on that. Pulling out a piece of paper, she scribbed something on it and handed it to Sharon. "Here's my cel phone number... give me a call when you're ready to meet up again. Do y'all have a place to crash?"

Sharon nodded. "One of my friends and I have a room here." She lifted her other hand from my shoulder then, letting me stand up, and as I did so I rediscovered the collection of body aches I had acquired in that last fight.

"Ow..." I muttered. "Being a Senshi hurts."

"Tell me about it," Cali agreed, winking at me. "Now you two go relax, have fun." There was something about her tone when she said that... and it wasn't quite lost on Sharon, who turned bright red.

"It's not like that!" she insisted, dragging me along with her as she headed for the door. I tried hard not to laugh at Sharon's vehement denial, which was made all the more funny by the fact that it made things look much worse than they were.

"We're just friends, really," I explained, still laughing as Sharon glared at me. To this day, I'm still not sure if she looked at me like that because I was laughing or because of what I said.

I do know, though, that Cali didn't buy it either way. That girl has a one-track mind. "You may think so," she prodded, wearing a Cheshire-cat grin, "but she doesn't. I promise you, every time I look at you she gets jealous."

Sharon's blush deepend to about the color of Aries' fuku. "I... I... " she stammered, her expression caught between anger and embarrassment. "I do not," she said weakly.

"Yeah, real convincing that was, Sharon-chan," Cali countered. "You believe her, don't you, Jon?"

It was my turn to be at a loss for words, and I knew I was about as red as Sharon. "I... I think I'll not answer that," I answered, even as I kicked myself mentally for a response even more lame than hers. Still... I didn't know what to think. Cali had a point... Sharon *did* act jealous, and I had to admit I liked that. What did it mean, though, really? I wasn't sure.

Before I could complete the thought, Sharon was tugging on my arm, dragging me out of the room again. As the sound of Cali's laughter followed us out and down the hall, I found myself wondering what to think of all this. It was so much, so fast... it was so overwhelming... and yet some things just felt right, in spite of all my misgivings.

What, though, did Sharon think? I would have to ask her eventually; I was sure she wouldn't say it on her own.

*****

Sharon didn't let go of my arm until we got back to her room, and though her blush had faded mostly, she still seemed rather flustered by the whole 'discussion' that had just taken place. So much so, in fact, that she had completely failed to notice all the people staring at us as she dragged me down the hall. At the door to her room, though, her frazzled mental state was even more apparent as she dug through her pockets for her room key.

"I know this is in here," she muttered to nobody in particular as she pulled dollar bills, a pen, her house keys, some loose change, and several other assorted items out of her pockets before finally discovering the cardkey she was looking for. Did I ever mention that Sharon is not a terribly organized person? The fact that she wasn't carrying her purse around with her anymore didn't help, of course; her pockets were stuffed with all the things she thought she might need. You can read that as "way too much junk".

Opening the door to the room, she walked in and dropped lifelessly down onto one of the beds. It was then that I really remembered just how exhausted she had seemed earlier... the incident with Cali had pushed that to the back of my mind. "You ok, Sharon?" I asked her, concerned.

"Just tired," she said softly. "Give me a couple of hours and I'll be fine. The energy I give up... seems to regenerate, though I'm not really sure how that works." I nodded, laying down carefully on the other bed. I was very sore, still... a little sleep would do me a world of good. Thus, Sharon's next words were a bit of an unpleasant surprise.

"You can't sleep there, Jon... Stephanie will come back and she'll be mad that someone's sleeping on her bed."

I sighed. "It's not like I'm sleeping *in* her bed... I'm just laying down for a while on top of the blanket." Surely her friend wouldn't be *that* pissy about it, I thought. Besides, the other alternative sounded very painful in my present state. "Do I *have* to sleep on the floor?"

She propped herself up on her elbows and looked over at me. "No, you can't sleep on the floor, either. Someone will trip over you and you might get hurt."

"As if I'm not hurting already," I mumbled. "Do I need to go home, then?"

She gave me one of those looks like all women have. You know the one... that exasperated expression they get when a man says something that makes perfect sense to him but she thinks is ridiculous? Yeah, that one. I get it a lot, dealing with a whole pack of Sailor Senshi; usually it's followed by some long, drawn-out explanation of why the thing I said is stupid. Sharon is different, though... she just smiled at me. "No, no," she laughed. "You can sleep next to me."

I blinked, not sure I'd heard her right. "Sharon, is that really a good idea?"

She laughed, patting her hand on the empty half of her bed. "It's not like we're *doing* anything," she pointed out. "Besides... we're just friends, right?"

There was something about the way she said that last part that seemed... false, in a way. Like she really wanted to say something else. Still, I was tired, and so was she. Maybe I was just imagining things. "...right," I agreed quietly, wondering if my voice sounded like hers in that moment. She didn't seem to react, but that didn't really mean anything, either. Lifting myself from the bed, I moved to lay down next to her, stretching out as best I could without intruding into her space. "Thanks."

She looked at me, her eyes meeting mine for a moment before she turned over, facing away from me. There was something in that gaze--an expression I'd seen before, that afternoon when we were on the way back from lunch--something that made me think of what Cali had said in the room, and of Sharon's reaction. Cali had been right... Sharon's denial wasn't terribly convincing, and as oblivious as I might be to the ways of the female heart, even I couldn't miss the fact that she'd been acting differently around me of late. I had assumed it was just the stress of the situation, that she was just looking for someone to lean on. In that moment, though, as I lay there, I started to wonder.

I looked up at the ceiling, trying to force my exhausted, battered body to relax, but I couldn't get the thoughts to stop. There was more to this... more to her feelings than I knew. More than that, she wasn't the only one acting differently. I'd always liked Sharon, even if I thought her Moon obsession was a bit over the top, and I've always been protective of my friends. This, though... this was more than that. I worried about her; I worried about her power and the way it drained her; I worried about her emotions, and the self-doubt and self-blame she was feeling from getting me involved in this; I worried about the life she would have to lead now, and how she would handle it,  
even more than I worried about myself. I wanted to protect her, to shield her from any and every threat, no matter how small. And somewhere down deep inside, I had this feeling that this was the way it was meant to be.

I lay there in silence as the minutes ticked by. Ten... twenty... thirty... still my mind ran itself in circles. As tired as I was, I wasn't going to sleep any time soon. I glanced over at Sharon, who still lay facing the wall. She wasn't asleep either... she moved every so often, seemingly unable to get comfortable. Was she thinking about the same things I was? Or was I imagining it all? When it came down to it, there was only one way to find out, and I wasn't going to get any rest until I did. Swallowing hard, I pulled together all the courage I could muster. "Sharon...?" I asked, trembling.

"Yeah?" she answered. Her voice was weak, tentative... was she afraid?

I drew a deep breath, willing myself to ask the question. "She was right, wasn't she?"

She turned over to face me again, her gaze searching mine. She knew exactly what I meant, I could tell... and really, the look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know. After a moment's silence, she nodded slowly. "Yeah... she's right."

"Sharon..." I whispered, desperately hoping I didn't sound as nervous as I felt. "I... don't see you as just a friend anymore, either." I paused, trying to rein in my emotions enough to be coherent. "I... you mean a lot more to me than a friend, Sharon."

Her eyes widened a little bit as the anxiety in her expression gave way to relief. She reached out to me then, and I drew her into my arms, hugging her tightly as she rested her head in my shoulder. It was everything I had felt that afternoon and then some, and I wondered where such depth of emotion could have come from so quickly, but considering what we had been through together already, I suppose it should have been no real surprise.

We held each other like that for several minutes before finally she pulled back enough that I could look at her again. "Thank you, Jon," she said softly. "I was worried... afraid you wouldn't understand so soon. I'm not even sure I understand it myself, really."

"Some things aren't meant to be understood," I answered, smiling at her. After all, I didn't understand it any better than she did... but I knew what I felt, and what I felt was not to be denied. I don't know, I've never thought of myself as a terribly romantic person... but I have my moments. Maybe it was just because of how different it felt. I'd had girlfriends before, been on dates before, and all that... this was different. I knew then that I would fight for Sharon... and I have, since, many times. I knew then that I would die for her, if necessary.

I only know one word that can describe that feeling, and it's one I've been taught to use cautiously, and sparingly. I'd never said it to any of my girlfriends before, as much as I thought I felt it. I was ready to use that word then... but Sharon beat me to it.

"I love you, Jon," she said softly, hugging me tightly again.

"I love you, too, Sharon."

Silence reigned as we held each other then... long moments of silence that could never be long enough. Deprived of the anxiety that was keeping me awake, I found myself growing very sleepy. Finally, I had to pull back from her, stifling an oncoming yawn.

"Oh, good," Sharon said with a smile. "I'm getting sleepy, too, but I didn't want to say anything."

I laughed... then frowned. "Um... now that we're more than 'just friends'... do I need to sleep on the floor?"

She gave me that look again, then shook her head and giggled. "No, silly... just don't get any ideas."

I smiled at her. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Yes, you would, you hentai." She stuck her tongue out at me. "But I trust you not to do more than dream." With that, she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes. Within a few moments, she was asleep. I've always wished I could just drop off to sleep like that... never has worked for me. Even so, it wasn't much longer before I to gave way to my dreams.

Sharon, of course, was right about those.

*******  
End Episode Three

* * *

Next Episode: Woah, turn down the ego a notch, girl! The glare is blinding! What? She's a Senshi, too? As if this group wasn't screwed up enough, we add the prima donna to the mix! Next Time: Sailor Leo! And you thought being surrounded by beautiful girls would be fun.


	4. Episode Four: Lovely Soldier

Stormwalker presents...

I awakened to the sound of a door opening, and footsteps entering the room. I've never been a light sleeper, though, and the first few moments after waking up come to me slowly, and in a fog... I remember vaguely thinking it was too light to be night yet, and wondering why my con-roommates would be back so soon... it wasn't until I heard a voice that I remembered I wasn't in my room at all. That realization brought a momentary panic, and my startled movement awakened Sharon, who had been resting her head against my arm as she slept. Later I would consider the implications of that... but for the moment, I was more concerned with what it might *look* like. It was one thing, after all, to be caught in bed with a girl when one had actually *done* something, but when one hadn't...

Sharon pulled away from me almost as quickly, and our reaction provoked an amused laugh from the entryway. I looked up to the source of that sound, a raven-haired girl of moderate height and build. She had fair skin, almost but not quite pale, with blue-grey eyes, and her lips were turned up at one corner in the sort of superior smirk that one wears when they know they have another at a disadvantage. This was Stephanie Pennington, Sharon's friend and con roommate... I hadn't seen her before, but she fit the description Sharon had given me far too well.

Stephanie's smirk grew a bit, and she walked gracefully over to one of the two chairs in the room, pulling it out and taking a seat. Her eyes looked me up and down, then moved to Sharon. "Well... what an interesting sight. Sharon, dear, what *ever* would your parents think?"

Sharon blushed deeply, and I had to wonder if she wasn't overreacting a little bit... it wasn't as if we had done anything, after all. Then again, she'd always said her parents were a bit overprotective. "You wouldn't..." she said in a quiet voice, not managing to sound as certain of it as she wished to.

Stephanie smiled a bit more, looking very much as the cat toying with her trapped prey. She held on to that look for a few moments, enjoying the uncomfortable situation in which she had caught us... then shook her head and laughed. "Oh, heavens no... but you really should be more careful, you know. I *might* not have been alone...

Sharon breathed a deep sigh of relief, her blush fading a bit. "It's not like that anyway," she protested weakly.

"Mm?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "Not like what? I find you in bed with some guy I haven't met and I'm supposed to believe there's nothing going on?" she asked teasingly, then smiled a wicked smile. "Of course, you *are* Sharon, which is to say that you're Little Miss Innocent, and as embarrassed as you are, if you'd been doing *that* you wouldn't even be able to show your face. You can't tell me it was nothing, though... and I am naturally curious..." she studied me a moment, then smiled. "Oh, this is Jon, isn't it... yes, you've told me about him, but you didn't tell me you were..." she let her voice trail off slightly, still grinning.

Sharon blushed again. "It was nothing... nothing like that, anyway," she insisted. "We were just tired and needed to rest." I bit my lip... Sharon was just digging a deeper hole, and somehow I didn't think Stephanie was going to let her off that easily.

"Oh, of course not," Stephanie countered, in a tone that was not quite sarcastic, but not quite believing either. "I do wonder why you felt the need to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon, though... you got plenty of sleep last night, didn't you? Unless... no, you couldn't have been out and about without me knowing it." The smile changed again, to one more seemingly innocent. "You might want to get to the dealer's room, though... there's been a run on Sailor Moon stuff since the incident a few hours ago, and I'd hate for you to miss out."

Sharon's expression went blank. "...Incident?" she asked softly, in a tone that might almost have been convincing if I had not known better. I was surprised that she had that in her... I had always known Sharon to be a horrid liar, and while this was not exactly a *good* imitation of ignorance, it might be good enough.

Stephanie nodded, giving no indication of having seen through the deception. "Oh, didn't you hear? I would think you of all people would have known about it, since you're such a fan..." There was something not right about her tone... it changed a bit with those last few words... she emphasized them a bit more than she should have. "Some girls dressed up as Sailor Senshi caused quite a stir in the parking lot earlier... there are police everywhere now."

Sharon didn't quite manage to silence the strangled sound at that last part, though she maintained her carefully neutral expression well. Stephanie was choosing her barbs well... almost too well. Could she possibly know something? Senshi transformations were supposed to protect against that, but..."

I had to say something. "Police at an anime con... just what we need," I muttered. "What happened, did they beat down on some poor soul cosplaying a Dark King?"

Stephanie looked at me flatly. "You really haven't heard?" she asked doubtfully. "There was a fight in the parking lot... a REAL fight. Somebody's car got blown up... witnesses said it was an energy blast."

I did my best to feign disbelief, though from Sharon's expression I'm not sure I did it well. "Somebody's CAR got blown up? Sounds like someone got out of hand with a prank... Oh, Hell. I'm parked in the hotel lot! Sharon, I gotta go check on my car..."

"I'll go with you," she said quickly, jumping at the excuse to escape this uncomfortable situation. I was already on my feet, but I waited for her to get up, following her out the door.

"Yeah, you should do that," Stephanie agreed with a far-too-knowing smile. "You two have fun now... I'll see you later, I'm sure."

"Right," Sharon answered as we filed out the door, not seeming terribly enthusiastic about that certainty. There was another half-day left in the con, she would have to face her again in the room that night. Hopefully, we'd have our story straight by then.

Once the door was closed behind us, I shook my head. "She knows something," I said.

Sharon shook her head. "No, I don't think so... she may be guessing, but if she was certain she'd come out and say it. At any rate, if she is guessing, it's about me... nobody would ever suspect you."

I smirked at that. Gender-changing did have a bright side, if you were really desperate to find one. "Maybe... you know her better than I do. We're going to have to be careful around her, though."

Sharon nodded, a worried look flashing across her face. "I know... I know... Stephanie's an information-hound... she's one of those people who has to know everything about everyone. If she suspects something, she'll keep poking at it until she finds it, or until she's convinced she's wrong... it won't be easy to evade her." She paused a moment, then shook her head. "No, thinking like that won't help. We'll find a way to throw her off the trail somehow."

* * *

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini

A work of fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Episode Four - Lovely Soldier

Disclaimer: While this story isn't set in the "world" of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, it uses many of the concepts from that series. Clearly, I don't own Sailor Moon, nor do I have permission to borrow from it. I make no effort and have no desire to profit from this work; it is written purely for my own amusement (and hopefully that of my readers).

* * *

Finding a payphone, I called the number Cali had given me. As it turned out, she and Ash were just getting ready to go to dinner. We decided to join them... it was the last night of the con, though there was still a half-day left the next day, so we needed to take the time to plan what was coming. They were going to a bit nicer place than I had really budgeted for, but Cali said she would cover it, and who was I to argue? Besides, I was sick of fast food.

There was another advantage to the restaurant chosen... it was quiet, and we were able to get a largely isolated booth where we could plan without too much concern with being overheard. That was an important thing... the last thing any of us wanted was to be associated with either of the incidents earlier that day and subsequently dragged down to the police station for questioning.

Cali, of course, was in her usual mischievous mood; I was beginning to realize that was almost a perpetual state for her. She had greeted us with a suggestive wink and the question of if we had enjoyed ourselves... predictably, Sharon turned bright red and proclaimed us "innocent of any such thing." I just smiled and shook my head a bit. And blushed some, admittedly. I'm afraid being blase is not really something I'm good at.

Still, it helped lighten the tone of what would have to be a very serious discussion. We had to figure out what we were going to do... the convention would be over in eighteen hours, and all of us had other lives to live. At the same time, we'd had two monster encounters in this one day alone... and it seemed Ash and Cali had been involved in a couple of others prior to the con. Simply put, fighting monsters looked to be a very prominent part of our lives from this point forward... a full-time job, really, and a thankless one without pay, at that. We needed to be organized and prepared for what was to come.

As with every issue that had been brought up thus far, Ash had her own ideas about how things should be done. Some of these were good... she had figured out how to produce Senshi commlinks from the henshin wands, which would help immensely with the problem of keeping up with each other. Unfortunately she didn't know how to make them look like anything other than magical girl equipment. Carrying around something that looked like a sky-blue pocket calculator for junior-high girls was an idea I found less than pleasant. At least they were small enough to be concealed.

What was less helpful was her stubborn insistence that SHE should be the leader of this band. She was oldest among us, she maintained... and she had been the first to receive her henshin, which, to her mind, made her special. She seemed... rather annoyed when I disagreed with her.

"What's your problem? You think because you're a man--and I use the term loosely--you can boss us around?" she challenged.

I sighed and shook my head. "No, I never said *I* wanted to be leader. I don't think we *need* to decide on a leader right now. We should be more worried about developing our skills and figuring out how we're going to do the 'champion of justice' thing without blowing our secret identities or wrecking our outside lives."

"What outside lives?" she shot back. "We're Senshi! This IS our lives now. This isn't a hobby, it's a war against evil!"

"Maybe you're right, Ash... maybe it is. I'm going to need to see more evidence before I believe that. I can think of a lot of explanations how we ended up in this position, and most of them DON'T involve a Silver Millennium or past lives or a Dark Kingdom that's out to get us." I paused, letting that sink in. "It's magic. It's weird, and it doesn't necessarily follow the happy little rules we've learned from watching anime. Maybe it does... but I don't think we should make that assumption yet."

A few moments passed in uncomfortable silence before Sharon finally spoke up. "...he has a point, Ash. We don't know about any of this. Maybe we need to spend some time trying to find out."

"Hmph," Ash expressed her contempt. "Of course you agree with him. Fine... fine... we'll play it your way for now." She turned to me. "Just remember, you were the one going on about how you have no choice in this, and how it's fate. So you must believe in something."

"...something," I agreed, the truth in her words cooling my fury a bit. "I'm just not ready to make any assumptions yet. If there are larger forces at work here, they'll reveal themselves eventually, and then we'll know. Until then, I'm going to assume I have some free will left."

"I don't think that's a bad approach, really," Cali agreed. "You know what they say about assumptions." She smiled a bit, and added, "I don't want to be an ass. But I'm not going to assume there's NOT some kind of past history involved, either."

I nodded. "Point taken. I guess the best thing at this point is to just keep our eyes open." Not really wanting to pursue this line of discussion any further, I looked for a change of subject. "We have bigger problems to worry about, for now, anyway. We need to establish a pattern of keeping in contact with each other, both by communicator and by having regular meetings, so we all know what the others are up to. We don't have any talking cats to give us hints as to what we should be doing or to guide us to other Senshi, so we're going to have to figure things out on our own."

"If you see something unusual, you should report it to the rest of the group," Ash said. Her tone was still more 'order' than suggestion, which grated on me a bit, but she had a valid point.

"Yes, that's a definite," I agreed. "And report it BEFORE you go rushing in to do something about it. We don't know how intelligent our enemies are yet. The Dark Kingdom in the anime was known for laying traps... not very good ones, but we can't assume our enemies will be that stupid. Try not to act alone; I think we've all seen now that we're much more effective as a group than we are individually."

"That's why I say we need to be looking for other Senshi," Ash countered. As much as I didn't like her attitude, I found myself begrudgingly admitting that her reasoning in this case was sound. "The more of us there are, the better our chances of being able to respond to a given situation quickly and in numbers."

Cali grinned a bit at that. "The word for the today is 'overwhelming force', right?" I tried to remember where I had heard that line, or one like it, before... was it something I read? Maybe. "That's my kind of tactics. It would be nice not to be outnumbered for once, though we do seem to outgun the enemies we've faced so far."

Sharon spoke up again, and I realized suddenly just how quiet she had been through this entire conversation. "That brings up another problem," she said hesitantly. "How are we going to respond to emergencies without compromising our identities? I don't know about all of you, but I still live with my parents... and they're pretty overprotective. If I get caught sneaking out at night or skipping classes to deal with some kind of monster incident..." her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. "I don't know how I'd explain that, unless I told them the truth. And that would be a bad thing."

I nodded my agreement. "And I'm not moving into my new apartment for another couple of weeks, though now that I've graduated my parents don't mind so much if I'm out late." I turned to Sharon. "Your parents aren't so bad during the summer, at least," I reassured her. "They let you go out with your friends and such, right?"

She nodded, but the look on her face was still one of concern. "Yeah, but they always want to know where I am, and they like to check up on me." She sighed. "We're going to have to come up with some kind of plan. And it'll only get worse once school starts again."

Ash shook her head, and Cali cast a meaningful glance in her direction. At that, her expression softened just a bit... though her tone was still flat and level. "Don't think I don't understand," she said, "...but there's not a whole lot the rest of us can do to help you with that. It's your parents you're talking about, after all. You're the only one who can deal with them."

Sharon sighed. "I know, I know," she said softly. "We can cover for each other to some extent, though. I don't like lying, especially to my parents and my friends... but we don't have a lot of choice, do we? If I tell people, it only puts them at risk." She looked down, closing her eyes. "You all do realize that everyone we know is in danger because of what we are, don't you?"

With those words, a somber silence fell over the group, none of us really having a response to that. I know I had thought about that, some... from the looks on the others' faces, I could see that it had occurred to them, as well. Still, it was something one tried not to think about. It's easier to think about it in happiness and light, to think about defeating evil and protecting the innocent and doing good and saving the world; unfortunately, when you get right down to the bare, naked truth of it, you start to realize that being a hero has a price. Secret identities make great comic-book plot devices, but they exist for a reason, too.

"We know," Ash said finally, breaking the silence in soft voice. That was it. No comfort, or reassurance. No promises that we wouldn't let anything bad happen. For all that we were naive--and we were, more than any of us realized--we all knew the possibilities. We all knew that if someone *did* find out any of our secrets, we wouldn't be the first ones to suffer. We could defend ourselves... but we couldn't defend everyone we knew, all the time. "We know..." she echoed, her voice quiet but intense, "but we can't let that stop us. It's a risk we have to live with, because what we do, and who we are, is too important."

As she spoke, something in my perception of her changed. There was a conviction, a certainty in her voice that went beyond any reason or logic... something that approached almost a religious zeal. This wasn't about control, I realized suddenly. Ash *believed* in something... something deeper than what I had allowed myself to consider. "What are we, then?" I asked, for once without sarcasm. "Who are we?"

She turned to me, and there was a flash of fire in her eyes. "We're Senshi. Soldiers, in a war against evil. You may not see it, or maybe you just don't want to see it, but powers like ours don't just exist for no reason. Monsters--monsters like the world has never seen before--don't just suddenly pop up out of nowhere without something behind it. You can believe what you want to, Jonathan. I believe that there is an evil out there that only we can stop, and if we don't stop it, nobody will. I believe that we have a solemn and sacred duty to protect the people of this world from that evil. That's our calling, our purpose. It's what we live for."

Her words hung in the air, and she loomed large in that moment, seeming less Ash and more Aries, transformed without transformation. It was not unlike what I had seen in Sharon at points, the echo of something greater, grander than the young woman I knew. In Ash, though, the effect was very different. In Sharon I saw light like a shining silver star, a radiance that seemed to transcend the body and extend to the spirit. In Ash it was like flame... fierce, unrelenting power and the burning zeal to wield it. In her words there was conviction which stirred something even in my skeptical heart, something I could not deny.

I had no words for a response; how do you respond to something like that? Ash had shown me some small glimpse of her inner self, given me a taste of the supernatural fires that fueled her single-minded drive, and in so doing had shattered many of the impressions I had formed of her. I don't mean to say that I liked her any more than I had before, or that I had any sudden compulsion to just jump up and follow her, or anything like that. Maybe it's just me being what I am--a Gemini is supposed to be good at seeing both sides of an issue, they say--but it was then that I started to see why she was the way she was, and that maybe I should show that a little more respect.

More than that, though, her words and the power they held resonated with something in my own mind, in my own heart. I pushed those reactions away. It was the last thing I wanted to be thinking about then. I had a glimpse where that line of thought was going, and it terrified me. Even if I did have to face it... and I knew I would, for some things cannot be denied... it wasn't something I wanted to deal with in front of the others. I'd work it out on my own.

I drew a deep breath, and clenched my hands in my lap, trying to pull myself together enough to give some kind of answer, to face the intensity of her gaze. I've never been a person to be afraid of confrontations, or to back down from anyone... but I've never felt as weak as I did in that moment, either. I don't know how to quite describe it... it was like I'd lost myself, like every sense of who I was and what I knew had just been washed away in the turning tide of my own emotions. No... even that doesn't cover it, but it's as close as I'm going to get.

"I believe you," I finally told her, lifting my eyes to meet her gaze. There was no point in denying the fact; for all that I wanted to argue, wanted to fight it, I knew she had spoken the truth. With that admission, I found a little strength, a little steadiness in my voice to continue; I had to stand on *something*, after all... I wouldn't be backed down completely. Not by her.

"You'll forgive me," I said, my voice still quiet but no longer trembling, "if I don't subscribe to any theories on past lives and reincarnations. Even if I was someone in the past, I don't think I want to know. I just want to be the person I am. If that means being Sailor Gemini... if that means a life fighting for love and justice and the preservation of life as we know it, I can do that. But I'll do it as me, and I'll do it for my reasons, because those are the only reasons I know." My gaze flickered to Sharon for a moment, then back to Ash as I awaited her response.

"Fine." Her voice was level, and a little cool, but not as harsh as I had expected. Somehow, I got the impression that I had just passed some sort of test, and won some sort of grudging approval. At that point, though, I really didn't much care. Other, deeper concerns were rising in my thoughts, things I could not suppress for long. I was, in many ways, of two minds. I suppose that too is appropriate, but I wasn't really in any position to appreciate the irony.

I turned to Sharon, needing to escape, to get away, to have some time alone with my thoughts. I needed to find myself again, whoever 'myself' was... and I wasn't really sure what the answer to that would be. "I need to be going," I told her. "Can you get back to the hotel without me?"

I could see the look in her eyes; she knew how troubled I was, and she wanted to talk to me, but I really wanted to be alone. At the same time, I also knew I couldn't refuse her if she asked to come with me. As such, I was both surprised and relieved when Cali cut in with, "I can give her a ride."

I nodded to Cali, surprised at the seeming recognition I saw in her eyes. Maybe she did understand in some way, or at least could see enough to know what it was I needed. I didn't ask, and I wasn't about to argue.

Not wanting to draw this out any further, I forced a smile as I turned again to Sharon, "...I'll see you later tonight, then, ok?"

Sharon hesitated, and for a moment I thought she was going to insist on coming with me. Then she gave me a slight nod. "...take care, ok?" she said softly. Her voice... there was sadness in her tone; she wanted to come with me, wanted to share in what I was feeling... but it wasn't something I was ready to tell her... wasn't something I could put into words, anyhow. I don't think she understood that... but evidently she did get the hint.

As I turned to walk away, I felt kind of bad about leaving her, but since Cali seemed to know the score, I hoped they would talk some. I'd talk to her about it later, regardless. For the moment, though... I just needed to think.

*****

The heart speaks truths the mind would deny. The words have become something of an axiom to me, a truth almost self-fulfilling in the way that I first came to acknowledge it. It was on this night, as I walked alone down a darkened street, that these words first gained meaning for me, as the evening's events forced me to acknowledge the increasingly insistent whispers of my heart.

I did not want to believe what I was feeling, what I had felt from the beginning and tried to rationalize away, but I had been driven to the point where I could ignore it no further. Ash's words had touched fire to my soul, had burned through the layers of resistance and forced me to admit the presence I had fought so fiercely to deny. She was right, damn her. The echo of her words in my soul was too powerful to ignore. The calling was there; I had felt it from the beginning, and for all my best efforts I could no more deny it than any other could take it up.

To that point, all of this had seemed less than real, like something out of a story. Even if it was real, I had told myself, it was some sort of freak of magic. I wasn't a Senshi, I was just the poor guy who got this dropped in his lap and was stuck with it. I didn't have any special power, I insisted. It was all in the wand; it made me like this, and I was just along for the ride whether I liked it or not.

It was a weak argument, constructed from rationalization and denial. I had already seen evidence to the contrary; Sharon and Ash both seemed to resonate with their Senshi powers, even in their untransformed state. How was it, if the power was only in the wands, that Sharon seemed to see into people's souls, or that Ash found such power and conviction for her words? And how was it that I could see such things within them, that these flashes of power struck such a chord in my own soul, if I did not have power of my own?

The answer was blatant, obvious, like a slap in the face... and in many ways it was just that. I'd been treating my Senshi form like a costume, or an armor; it was something I put on when I needed the power, and took off when I was done, but it was never something that I *was*, even in part. I guess it was a defense mechanism of sorts, to think that way, against the disturbing nature of my transformation. If the Senshi body was just something I could use as a weapon, and be done with it when the threat was passed, then it wasn't *me*, or even part of me, and it didn't have anything to do with who "I" was. I could go on being Jonathan Thompson, put on the Sailor Gemini costume when I needed it, and when I took it off I was myself again.

Hell, I'd said as much in my little speech during that first fight, hadn't I? And here you all thought I was talking about the fuku. Yeah, well... the fuku was part of it, but the body underneath was more what I wanted to deny; it was being forced to wear that Senshi body--to accept it or allow others to suffer, and that's not much of a choice, is it?--that really made me want to beat down on that monster. I wasn't a girl, dammit. I didn't want to be one, even for a little while. THAT WASN'T ME.

...it was just a shell, with powers, I could use when there was evil to be beaten down on.

I wanted to believe that, with a desperation that I still can't quite put into words. It was a neat, clean explanation, one that didn't lead me to question who I was, or why. If "she" wasn't "me", if that body wasn't mine, then "I" didn't have to acknowledge "her" at all.

In the light of what I'd seen, though, my denial crumbled to dust. If the power of Sailor Cancer was in Sharon, and the power of Sailor Aries was in Ash... then the power of Sailor Gemini had to be in me. And if the power of Sailor Gemini came from within me, then it left me with only one conclusion. That girl, that Senshi, was not just a role I could play, or an armor I could put on, or even a shape I could assume. That girl was me.

The heart speaks truths the mind would deny, and the words of my heart found themselves on my lips in that moment, as though some hidden force inside me had taken control and spoken with my voice.

"I am the lovely soldier Sailor Gemini," I said softly, unable to suppress the shudder that passed through me with the words.

I am. Two very simple words that carry far too much weight for their size. They are equation and identifier rolled into one, a definitive statement with no room for equivocation, or uncertainty, or doubt... or denial. They laid on my shoulders a crushing weight, the knowledge that everything I had believed about myself, everything I had been taught, everything I had known to be true... was a lie.

What did it all mean? What did it *really* mean? Was I supposed to be a girl? If Sailor Gemini was real, did that mean Jonathan was the illusion? I couldn't believe that, wouldn't accept it. The "me" that I knew had to be real... I'd lived as him for nearly nineteen years, and that had to count for something. I wouldn't let go of that, not without a fight. I'd hold onto it somehow, in spite of what came.

...but the doubt would not fade, and the fear only grew. This power inside me pulled at my heart in ways I could never understand. If it wanted me to change, how could I resist it? There were higher forces at work here, power and magic, and even the terrible specter of fate. Did I really have a choice at all?

...something snapped inside, then, and I stopped walking. Images flashed in my head, like a waking dream, or a distant memory. I couldn't place them, yet they were familiar to me, even comforting. Or maybe it was the face that kept popping up in them... Sharon, alight with the magical splendor she showed in her Senshi form, and yet... a sense of something more, as well.

It stopped as abruptly as it started, and I found myself staring blankly at a sidewalk I didn't really recognize. How long had I been walking, adrift in my thoughts? Long enough to get lost, it seemed, though I thought I could find my way back based on the direction I'd been walking. If nothing else, it would give me something else to take my mind off more disturbing thoughts. I needed to talk to someone... no, to Sharon. If anyone could help me with this, it would be her.

...but first, I had a lot of ground to cover, and that gave me far too much time to think.

*****

I'd gone farther than I thought, evidently, because it was a very long walk back to the hotel. It was late, too... the lights at all the businesses in the area were out, even most of the restaurants, except for the twenty-four hour places. Funny that I can remember details like that now... at the time, I wasn't really paying much attention beyond my own footsteps on the sidewalk and the occasional street sign to be sure I was going the right way. I knew it was late, but I didn't really have any sense of just how long I had spent wandering the streets, trying to come to terms with myself.

I did, thankfully, find my way back eventually. It was for the most part an uneventful trip, something not to be taken for granted in the middle of the night, but a fact which also left me alone with my thoughts and nothing to distract me from them. I can admit it; there were points when it was everything I could do to keep from breaking down and crying. I wanted to run away, I wanted to hide, I wanted to disappear. I couldn't do that, though. Sharon needed me, and for that alone I had to be strong.

I can't quite describe that part. It seems a little silly or naive to be talking about that kind of dedication, about that kind of love after so little time, doesn't it? It didn't make sense to me at the time, either. Now? Now, I understand it... and I'm sure if you hang on for the whole story, you will, too. For now, though, you're just going to have to accept it... just like I did. In that short time, that day and a half since our first run-in with the hand of fate, Sharon had gone from being one of my friends--albeit one of my close friends--to something much more. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that she had become my reason for being. Certainly she was my reason for being Sailor Gemini, if nothing else. If it weren't for her, I'd have gone and chucked my henshin pen into Lake Ray Hubbard and been done with it.

I couldn't, though. I couldn't abandon her when she needed me. I use the word 'love'... it's the closest word I know for that feeling... but it doesn't seem to quite represent. Or maybe it's just the way most people use that word. To a Senshi, it means something different, something powerful, something glorious and pure and full of light. It's what we fight for, after all... for love and for justice. It's not just a speech. It's our lives.

Of course, I didn't understand any of that yet, either. I just knew I couldn't run away. I knew I had to be strong, even when I didn't feel it.

And I knew that I would. Somehow, through it all, I never doubted that I could. I never doubted the power, or even my will to fight. I wasn't afraid of failure; failure was not an option.

I was afraid of what would happen to the "me" I knew along the way.

So, with heavy heart, I made my way back to the hotel. The lobby was nearly empty, something that struck me as odd, but it wasn't until I'd found a phone and dialed up Sharon's room that I made the connection.

"Hello?" an almost-familiar voice answered. It took me a moment to place it as Stephanie's. Something about her tone seemed off, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Hello," I answered wearily. "Is Sharon there?"

A pause. "...this is Jon, isn't it? Where have you been? She's been worried sick about you, and she's keeping me awake!" A muffled shout from the background cut in before I could respond, followed by Stephanie's voice again. "In a minute, Sharon-chan, I need to tell your boyfriend something." That produced another very audible shout, then Stephanie turned her attention back to me. "You shouldn't go off and disappear like that without telling someone," she lectured in her most reproving voice. "It's not good manners to leave people all worried like this."

Sharon's exasperated voice sounded from the background. "Just give me the phone already!". A sort of hurried shuffling sound followed, and then she came on the line. "Jon! It's almost three in the morning!" Her voice was trembling with concern. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

I blinked. It was that late? I'd been gone... six hours? No wonder I was tired. "...I-I'm fine, Sharon," I stammered, taken aback. From the sound of her voice, she had been really worried about me; given the time, I could see why. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was that late."

"No, no, it's okay," she assured me, the words coming out in a flood. "You don't sound fine, though. Where are you?" she repeated the question. "...tell me where to meet you. I'll be right there." Her insistence caught me off guard... this wasn't worry about me being out late. She had picked up on some of my emotions earlier, and she hadn't forgotten.

I sighed a bit; I needed to talk to her, and yet I still dreaded the conversation. To try and put a lot of the things I was feeling into words... to speak them was to admit the reality of it all, to acknowledge my fears and my concerns. It was another step in accepting the truth about myself, and--I shuddered as I completed the thought--another step in becoming the person fate and magic had decided I should be... whoever that person might be.

"...I'm in the lobby," I told her, my voice sounding weak even to me. "At the pay phones by the front desk. I'll be waiting."

"I'm on my way, Jon. I'll be right there." She paused, as if trying to decide whether to say something. "I love you, Jon," she half-whispered into the phone.

I barely heard Stephanie's "...you're gonna have to whisper better than that--" before it was cut off by the click of the receiver.

*****

There are a lot of things about becoming, for all intents and purposes, an anime character which a lot of people overlook. One of these is that your life quickly begins to revolve around food. Momentous conversations are held over dinner, or in coffee shops, or ice cream parlors, or whatever is convenient. I used to believe that this was because the writers of said anime found those familiar and believable places to hold such discussions. Likewise, I had thought that the manner in which so many powerful anime characters ate was simply a matter of comic exaggeration, or perhaps an indicator on their manners or lack thereof.

Now I know better. One of the earliest realizations about the changes in me, physically, was that my metabolism was on overdrive. My food intake tripled in a matter of days; before, I had never been the sort to really eat a lot. I usually didn't finish meals at restaurants, and almost never had an appetizer or dessert. Now? I could pack away three cheeseburgers with fries, two orders of stuffed jalapenos, and two large drinks and still have more than adequate room for the banana split afterward.

The second and closely related realization was that this was quickly going to break my budget. Thankfully, Sharon didn't seem to have this problem to the same degree--since I was buying this time around, and having to feed both of us to that extent would have cost more than I had to my name. It was also at times like these that I would learn to give thanks for living in Texas, where we have no less than two twenty-four hour burger chains, because on my budget, even places like the local pancake house started to get steep really fast.

Of course, the look on the cashier's face when I placed my order would have been rather amusing if I had been in any mood to appreciate it. Sharon had ordered a lot of food for someone her size, and he'd given her sort of a curious look... but then I stepped up. Now, to properly picture this, you need to know that as a guy I'm not built much more heavily than I am as a girl; I'm about six-foot-two, but I only weigh about one-eighty or so. My order was, well, not quite at the proportions above (I knew I was hungry, but I didn't know I was *that* hungry yet...), but more than substantial for the average NFL lineman. For a minute I think he thought I was joking, but he took down the order and gave me a number, and I walked over to the corner booth Sharon had taken.

If there's any other advantages to going out to a burger place at three in the morning, it's that you're almost certain of being alone. For this I was thankful; with the corner booth, we could sit far enough away from the counter that the employees couldn't hear us, and we didn't have to worry about other customers overhearing what was going to be, for certain, a very sensitive conversation.

She didn't waste any time getting to the point. Usually, that's one of the things I love about her; she doesn't play games and she doesn't beat around the bush... at least, not when it comes to other people's feelings. She herself is a different story... but that's a discussion for another time. At this point, well... I'd have loved to avoid this conversation, so her straight-forward approach was a little less welcome than usual; it left me nowhere to hide.

Her gaze was piercing, the magical insight that let her see through all my defenses manifested in the deep sapphire of her eyes. "Something's bothering you. I don't need my Senshi powers to see it. The others don't even know you like I do, and *they* can see it, too. Please tell me what it is. Let me try to help, at least."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. A dozen possible answers came to mind, most of them sarcastic or cutting in some way or another. I bit them back... Sharon wanted to help me, and all I could think to do was to lash out at her? I sighed, looking away, trying to collect my thoughts. She waited. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. She waited. I opened my mouth, and no words came out... and she waited, until finally I was able to put something to voice.

"I... don't know who I am anymore, Sharon."

It was her turn to be silent. She reached across the table, taking my hand in hers... the touch was reassuring, comforting... it was not until later that I realized quite what she had done, and even now I'm not sure how to explain it, except to say that in that moment she took a little of my fear as her own. Her eyes clouded with concern, but her gaze never wavered.

"Jon," she finally said softly. "You're *you*. The same "you" you've always been. I can see that, even if you can't. I can tell this kind of thing." She paused, then shook her head. "There's more to you now, of course. Echoes... images of something I can't quite place. But even that... it's still you. It's just... more."

I sighed heavily. "Is it? Is it really? It was... it was one thing to be a guy who turned into a girl sometimes. What if Ash is right, though? What if I *am* the reincarnation of some Senshi from the past? What if I'm *supposed* to be the girl, and I just ended up in this body by some accident of fate?" I looked up at her again. "...what if my whole life is a lie?"

She squeezed my hand tightly. "Does the body really matter that much, Jon?" she asked. "It doesn't matter to me. I love you because of who you are, not because of what you look like. Your body doesn't tell you who you are. That's something you decide in your own heart... and your heart hasn't changed. I know. I can see these things."

I thought about that a few long moments. "...I can't see them," I answered softly. "...I don't have your eyes."

"No," she answered. "You don't. But you have me." She smiled a bit at that, holding my gaze.

It was, of course, then that we were interrupted by the arrival of our food, brought to us by the middle-aged woman who was apparently the night manager at the place. She smiled at us with the knowing smile of a woman who had seen it all, lived it all, and thought she knew what was going on between us. I'm sure we looked like the typical love-struck young couple, trying to find our way in the world together, trying to make something special out of even the least romantic of places. It makes a good story, I suppose.

In retrospect, when you factor out the magic and the monsters, the visions and the memories, the battles lost and won, and when you get down to what this story is really about... she probably wasn't that far off.

But there's a lot to tell yet before this story is done, isn't there? And I should get back to the telling of the tale.

*****

It would be ridiculous to claim that the issues I was facing were resolved in a single conversation, even one as emotionally charged as that one. The truth is that my troubles were only just beginning. This is not to say, however, that the talk I had with Sharon was fruitless; just her presence seemed to calm some of my fears and leave me more at ease with myself... regardless which 'self' I might be at the moment.

After eating, neither of us really felt like sleep, so when we got back to the hotel we found ourselves a quiet table in the lobby and sat down to talk some more. I still had a lot of questions, of course... and I wanted to know what Sharon was feeling. I don't have her sight for what is in a person's heart, but I could tell there was a lot on her mind. Some of it was my problems, I knew--Sharon had always been the worrying type--but some of it was other things. She'd talked about the fear of how she was going to handle the secret identity issue, and her concerns about the people we loved being caught up in this... but she hadn't talked much about what it meant to her, to actually *be* a Senshi.

Her answer surprised me. "...it's... well... I don't know. The things I see, the things I feel, are beyond any words I could use to describe them. It's nothing like I thought it would be, and it's... beyond my likes or dislikes or any such thing. It's just... I *am* a Senshi. As long as I can remember I've wanted this... and now it doesn't really matter if I want it or not. It's just so *much*, it's kind of overwhelming." She smiled at me, then, and her eyes brightened some. "...but it's wonderful in its own way, even though it's scary."

I considered that, trying to compare that to my own experience. In truth, I had been so caught up in the boy-girl thing that I had never really had the opportunity to capture the majesty of it all. There was more to it than that, though...or at least I thought so. Sharon was different. Different than me, I knew... maybe even different than all of us. Her powers operated on a more spiritual level, whereas the rest of us were almost purely physical, from what I'd seen thus far, and her perceptions seemed to mirror that difference as well. "I guess I hadn't really thought of it like that," I answered. "I mean, the things Ash talked about, I could feel that. I know there's something deeper here... deeper than ourselves, deeper than the powers. I just... I feel like I should know, and I don't."

Sharon nodded her agreement. "I feel that, too. It's like we've really only tapped the surface layer, that there's more beneath this, more to it than we've seen. I wonder, though... maybe we're just not ready for that yet? The Senshi in the anime and the manga grew in stages... maybe that was to keep them from getting too overwhelmed?"

"Maybe," I answered, not really convinced. "It just feels to me like..." I shook my head, running out of words. "I don't really understand it well enough to describe it," I conceded. "If I figure it out, I'll let you know."

She smiled at me. "Don't worry about it. We'll learn in time, I'm sure." Her voice took on that reassuring, calming quality again, and I found myself wondering if it was something she did consciously or if it was just characteristic of her abilities that they came on when she needed them.

Either way, it soothed some of my concerns. I was still worried, though; we still had yet to truly comprehend our nature and our abilities, and the fact that we had encountered two monster attacks in two days did not speak well for us having a lot of time for us to get our act together.

I looked at Sharon again, trying to hide the concern in my eyes, and resolved to myself to make an effort to figure all of this out. Sharon was the least combat-capable of the group, for all that she might well be the most powerful among us... if we failed, she might well be the first to pay the price. I could not let that I happen. I would not.

She sensed the change in my mood; I should have known better than to try to hide it. "...is something wrong, Jon?"

I shook my head, trying to calm myself. "I'm fine. Just thinking about some things." I was, in fact, doing exactly that. I was thinking about what I could do to better master my powers, and learn my capabilities... and what I could do to convince the other Senshi that we needed to do the same.

Of course, for some that was much less of a problem than others, as I would soon learn.

*****

We never did get to sleep that night; by the time either of us really started to feel any need for it, the sun was almost up, and if we'd slept then, we'd have missed what was left of the con. Considering how much of it we'd missed because of other concerns, that simply wasn't going to happen. There wasn't much happening in the middle of the night, of course, so all we could do was see what was showing in the video rooms. That occupied a few hours, anyhow, and after that we just walked around and talked some more. It was oddly quiet for a con, I remember thinking, even for that hour, but at the time I wasn't in a mood to complain.

Of course, it says something about anime fans that the con was still going on at all in the wake of some of the things that had happened. I'm not really sure what it says, exactly, whether it's that we're somewhat acclimated to weirdness, or that we're just really devoted, or maybe that we're just plain crazy. I suspect, though, that most of the crowd at the con, including a lot of the hotel staff, simply didn't believe in any of what was going on around them. I can't really blame them... I was living it and it was difficult for me to accept it, too.

On the other hand, denial can only hold up so long. I know about that really well... and everybody else was about to get a very unpleasant lesson in the subject.

Cali and Ash got up about nine in the morning, which made them the first people I'd seen up and about in a few hours. Both looked like they had not gotten nearly enough sleep; I could sympathize, not having gotten any myself. Still, Cali was in her usual pleasant mood, and she grinned at the two of us when we ran into each other in the hallway.

"Kept each other up all night?" she teased. "Was it fun?"

Sharon turned red; I just laughed. I was starting to get used to Cali's... unique sense of humor, I guess. Sharon, of course, didn't think I should find it amusing, and the look she gave me delivered that message very clearly, but I just shrugged and smiled. "We had some nice conversation."

Cali smirked. "Conversation. So that's what they're calling it now."

That was too much for Sharon. "It's nothing like that! Even if we wanted to, I have a roommate so we couldn't!" she nearly shouted. I blinked in surprise at the outburst, though there didn't seem to be anyone else around to hear it, except for this one kinda bishounen-looking blonde guy at the end of the hallway. He must have noticed, though, because he was staring right at us.

"Mmm-hmmm," Cali replied in her best smug, knowing tone. "I believe you."

"That's enough, Cali," Ash cut in, not wanting this little war of words to escalate any further. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think breakfast would be a very good idea right now."

The rest of us nodded our agreements; it had been several hours since Sharon and I ate, and the rules of Senshi metabolism were starting to kick in. It seemed we weren't the only ones affected, either; Ash had been unusually vehement for such a mundane subject. With that, we went off to breakfast.

Or we started to do that, anyhow.

As ever, fate had a different plan in mind. The fastest way to our cars from where we were standing was through the lobby, and we had no sooner gotten there before an odd feeling of dread came over me. Evidently I was not the only one that felt it; Sharon squeezed my hand tightly at almost the same moment, and we all stopped dead in our tracks.

It took me a moment to realize what was wrong with the scene. Sunday morning at an anime con is usually a busy time, with many con-goers in the process of checking out, loading up their cars, and heading out of the place. Here, though, there was almost no activity. In fact, there was almost nobody here at all, except for the desk clerk and the bellhop...

...both of whom seemed to have fallen asleep on the job.

"...I've got a very bad feeling about this," I heard myself say softly. When there was no sarcastic reply forthcoming from any of the others, I knew that feeling was shared. What had happened here? "Everybody fan out, look for anything suspicious. I'll check on the clerk, someone see to the bellhop."

"...right," Ash answered, not arguing for once. I'm not sure if she had the same suspicion I did, though I guess any Sailor Moon fan would probably jump to the obvious conclusion. I quickly walked over to the front desk to check on the clerk... she was still breathing, that was good, but nothing I did could wake her. I frowned, my suspicion growing. I glanced up at Ash, who was having similar problems trying to wake the bellhop, even having gone so far as grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him, to no effect. My gaze moved to Sharon and Cali, who were over by the a pair of couches set up just outside the lobby area... they'd found another one.

I motioned to all of them, and we gathered in the center of the room. "...this just screams 'energy drain'," I said softly, getting nods of agreement from the rest of the group. "Most of the con-goers are probably still in bed. In fact, I haven't seen anyone up and about at all in the last couple of hours... no. I have."

Cali nodded, her eyes widening a bit. "The bishounen guy in the hall. I've seen..." she thought about it a minute. "I've seen him before somewhere..."

"He was watching the fight yesterday," Ash interrupted. "I don't like this."

"...he can't be doing this alone," Sharon said softly. "If he's doing it at all. I don't remember reading anything unusual off of him, though I can't tell those things as clearly when I'm not transformed."

"Oh, he's doing it all right," Ash growled.

"How incredibly astute of you all," a male voice spoke from across the room. We whirled as one to see the aforementioned long-haired blonde bishounen standing in the hotel entryway... with ten of his scaly green buddies like the ones from the day before. He was now dressed in a uniform of some sort, black and dark violet, an odd melding of modern military with something more regal... very evil-empire-ish, indeed. "To think it took the Senshi so little time to unmask my plot." He smiled as I opened my mouth to deny it. "Don't bother. There's a reason the four of you aren't still asleep in your beds. Such a pity for you; I'll have to kill you all."

"You might find that more difficult than you think," I countered, looking him over carefully. He wasn't attacking yet, for some reason... typical evil impulse to gloat, I guess. "Let's see... pretty-boy, evil powers, useless minions, funny-looking uniform. Dark General?"

"Indeed. I am Fluorite, humble servant of the Queen Amethyst." He sneered at me contemptuously. "Such wit and perception you have. I would expect nothing less from the legendary Andreon. I do hope you've gotten over your little cross-dressing problem, however. You were much more amusing as a whole man."

That did it. I didn't know half of what he was talking about, but I understood enough, and even the rest of it seemed to strike a chord somewhere deep inside. "That's it," I snarled. "Let's fight!" The henshin pen was in my hand instantly, almost as if summoned; I didn't notice, but the others had done the same.

"GEMINI STAR POWER!"  
"CANCER STAR POWER!"  
"ARIES STAR POWER!"  
"TAURUS STAR POWER!"

"MAKE UP!"

I've always wondered why the enemy never attacked *during* the transformation sequences. Now I think I understand; the General in question was opening his mouth to speak even as the transformation began, and yet no sound came out until it was done. It's almost as if a sort of stasis is imposed during the change... or more likely that the transformation simply ignores the normal flow of time. Coming out of it, though, I could not miss the words as he ordered his minions to attack.

It took me about half a second--about the same time it took me to dodge a barrage of energy blasts--to realize that we were seriously outnumbered. I could help with that, of course... but I hated to split my concentration that way. Unfortunately, it didn't seem I had a lot of choice. Sidestepping another blast, I called out, "TWIN IMAGE!"

The split was less mentally staggering this time than it had been before; evidently my mind had learned something about compartmentalization from the first time around. This was good; I would need to be as mentally together as I could manage for this fight. The enemy had formed sort of a half-ring around Fluorite, such that we couldn't get to him without going through them first; that was fine by me... with the strength of my Senshi form, going through people was something I was good at.

Aries had opted for something more akin to fire support... with the fire taken entirely too literally. I winced, hoping she managed to not burn down the hotel while everyone was asleep, but at this point we were fighting as much for our own survival as anything else, and we couldn't exactly afford to hold back. She did seem to be selective about her attacks, though; with a cry of "EMBER FLASH!" she pointed at one of the--monsters? youma? I didn't really know what to call these things, since they didn't quite look like anything out of the anime that I'd seen--and it burst into a plume of flame before crumbling to ash.

Taurus, like me, seemed to prefer the direct approach. I couldn't hear her voice over the sounds of battle, but the attack was a familiar one, ripping a swath up from the floor in an odd sort of waveform until it reached its targets, then exploding upward under their feet, casting three enemies in different directions.

Cancer was hanging back, as was her role, providing shields to each of us in turn when we were in vulnerable spots. I could feel her presence with me, too, as though she were lending me some of her strength.

I was thankful for it, because in this melee I needed all the strength I could get. With a furious cry I and myself charged at two of the monsters, opting for the hand-to-hand route. This was what I was best at, I'd discovered... I was strong enough and fast enough to literally pound my way through most enemies, and it seemed an effective tactic. Even as I pummeled two of them down, though, two more took their place. An energy blast struck one of me at point-blank range, Sharon's shield materializing in time to take part of the attack but not all; I staggered, stumbling. My other self stepped in with a vicious kick, knocking the monster backwards, but then was struck hard herself. I staggered back to my feet, retreating a few steps for position, then jumped back into the fray.

The battle was not going well. Fluorite himself was content to watch, which was good... if he had any power at all, and he almost certainly did, he would have tipped the scales completely in their favor. Even so, at the rate we were going it would be a draw at best... and if Fluorite escaped with his life and the knowledge he had acquired, we might as well be beaten. I snarled, throwing myself into the battle with renewed vigor, not sure where the power was coming from but not questioning its source. Even with my best efforts, though, I could not turn the tide.

Fluorite stepped forward in that moment, and I felt something in my heart sink. Now he *was* going to join the battle, I realized, and we were as good as lost. It was then, though, that another voice rang out over the clamor, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

"STOP!"

Amazingly enough, everyone did. Even I--both of me--stepped back from the fight, as did the creatures we were fighting. Fluorite himself looked around, confused, trying to place the source of the voice. I myself didn't realize its source until I glanced at Sharon... and followed her gaze to the young woman leaning in the doorway behind Fluorite.

The woman in question, shrouded a bit in shadow so that I could not see her eyes, smiled. She did not speak loudly... in fact, her tone was level, almost soft, but her voice carried throughout the room. "Draining people's energy without their consent is bad manners," she began, stepping slowly forward, "and the green, scaly look went out of style ages ago."

That was a familiar voice, I thought.

"Taunting and attacking my friends... now that's just lacking in class, and I won't forgive you."

Another step forward, and my eyes widened with recognition.

"For love, justice, and proper etiquette, I am the loveliest soldier, Sailor Leo!" She paused, striking a pose, stepping fully into the light... and one Stephanie Pennington smiled. "I hope you realize that you'll have to be punished."

I will reserve judgment on who the most lovely of the Senshi might be, as I am obviously biased, but I cannot deny that Leo presented a striking image. Her fuku was white and purple, the sort of deep violet that one associates with royalty, with long gloves and thigh-high boots that added an air of threat amidst the sheer beauty of her appearance. Gold earrings and bracelets served as additional accents, and her raven-black hair flowed freely down her back. She might not have been the prettiest of the Senshi--but again, I'm biased--but she definitely had the best outfit going.

Then again, considering who this was, she'd probably figured out how to customize it.

The imposed peace, punctuated by the fact that *everyone* had turned to stare at Leo, lasted about ten seconds. Then, if the newest Senshi had wanted to find herself on center stage she had surely gotten her wish, as *all* of the enemies present, including Fluorite, advanced on her to attack.

She was ready; dancing away from the energy beams with an uncanny grace, she laughed as they tried to pursue her back through the doorway. "You know if you give a girl that long to set up her attack she'll have something big planned," she taunted, coming to a stop just long enough to gesture with her left hand. "LION'S ROAR!"

The sonic burst tore through the enemies crammed into the narrow space with frightening effectiveness, shattering the glass doors and every window in the front of the building in the process. Monsters were flung in all directions as if someone had set off an explosive in their midst, clutching their heads in pain. Fluorite, for his part, managed to stand his ground, but several cuts from flying shards of glass had scarred his perfect features. For a moment he stood there shaking in fury, then a cloud of the glass fragments lifted itself up from the ground and flung itself in Leo's direction.

Somehow she managed to sidestep that attack, but Fluorite was bearing down on her quickly. His minions, on the other hand, were still disoriented from the sonic burst, and while it didn't look like any of them were dead yet, some of them were cut up pretty badly. It was time to finish the job. Merging the two of myself back into one, I picked out one of the monsters who was trying to crawl back to its feet and charged.

This wasn't a named attack. It wasn't even a magical attack in the strictest sense. This was a power-boosted haymaker. I could feel the power surge through my veins as I threw all my weight into the punch. There was an audible, tangible crack as my fist met its jaw, lifting the monster off the ground and slamming it into the stone wall some ten feet away. It never hit the floor, just disintegrated in a cloud of dust.

For a moment I just stared at my hand, not quite sure what I'd just done. I knew my Senshi body was strong, even superhumanly strong... but that was a punch worthy of a place in DC Comics. The other Senshi couldn't do that--at least not that I had seen--where did all this strength come from?

I didn't have long to ponder it; even as the other Senshi jumped into the battle, with Aries throwing streams of fire and Taurus detonating sections of the floor beneath our enemies, I discovered I'd just attracted my own share of the attention. I didn't duck the first punch, and only the familiar gold flash of one of Sharon's defense shields saved me from a lot of hurt. After that I was more aware, dodging, trying to counter. I'd taken a little martial arts, but I wouldn't have called myself good. Fortunately for me, these monsters seemed more chosen for brawn than skill.

I ducked a claw swipe over my head, retaliating with a back kick to the offending monster's midsection. It didn't have the force of my punch--I hadn't put that kind of concentration or build-up into it--but it was sufficient to get the creature off my back for a moment, dropping it right in front of Aries.

"Flame Blaster!" Aries called out, ignoring the monster I'd deposited at her feet to unleash a stream of fire at Fluorite's back. Fluorite, evidently, was not so unaware as she had thought; he gestured, and a cloud of glass shards rose up from the ground to intercept it, detonating the attack in a spectacular fireball. Aries spat a curse and stepped back as the minion at her feet stood up to attack her.

Taurus cast a concerned glance in Aries' direction, but she was too caught up with her own crowd of monsters give any aid. I wondered why she hadn't used her Golem Charge attack when it occurred to me... there probably wasn't enough Earth under the floor to generate the giant bull in question. Instead, she settled for small, short-range versions of her Blast Wave, taking on one attacker at a time.

Sharon moved around toward the doors, trying to get into a position where she could see, and possibly assist, Leo. One of the monsters tried to fire off an energy blast in her direction, but Aries was quicker, picking it off with one of her incendiary spark attacks. I edged in that direction myself, in case anyone else got any ideas, though the monsters I was fighting were already giving me more than I could handle.

The movement, however, showed me more of what was going on on the outside of the entrance, where Leo was doing everything she could simply to avoid being hit by a rampaging Dark General. Sharon threw a quick shield around her, allowing her to stand and deflect the first barrage of glass, letting her set up a sonic burst as a counterattack.

Fluorite, though, was ready for that, too. No sooner had Leo unleashed the attack then the General disappeared. I felt a something then, a sudden burst of fear, and I whirled, turning my back on the monsters I was fighting... and in the next half-second the General appeared immediately behind Sharon.

"NO!" I shouted, already in motion, blindly charging at Fluorite. Sharon whirled sharply, her eyes going wide with fear as he raised his hand to unleash some sort of attack. Energy blasts seared my back as I leapt at him, the blade forming in my hand; they hurt, like nothing I had ever felt before, but the impact only pushed me forward. I raised my hand to drive the blade into Fluorite's back as his hand started to glow. I could see the crystal spikes forming at his fingertips. I couldn't make it. I wouldn't make it. I *had* to make it, somehow. I closed my eyes in silent prayer for speed...

...and felt the blade in my hand pierce flesh, even as I opened my eyes again to see Fluorite enveloped in an explosion of stone and fire. I was too close to it; the blast threw me backwards, casting me onto the glass-covered ground several yards away. There was a scream, an inhuman, alien screech of pain as Fluorite writhed in mid-air, wreathed in a corona of fire and pierced by multiple shards of concrete ripped up from beneath the floor. I lifted my head to look at Sharon, to see her stumble backwards, the ground around her perforated with crystal spines... and breathed a deep sigh of relief. She was unharmed.

The sonic burst assaulted my ears next, an concussive blast of force that slammed my head back into the ground. It was too much... my vision blurred, and I knew I would not stay conscious much longer. It was also too much for Fluorite, the convergence of elemental forces literally tearing him apart. For a moment I saw another image of him, a monstrous figure not unlike the creatures at his command... and then, suddenly, there was nothing.

No... not nothing. There were still monsters--Fluorite's minions. I tried to get up, to rejoin the fight, but just the effort of rolling over to my stomach and pushing myself up to my knees left me dizzy and disoriented; standing would be impossible. Sharon quickly came to my side, kneeling beside me; I could scarcely see her, and her voice was distorted to my ears, but I knew her presence and felt the touch of her power. The pain ebbed, my vision cleared... still I could not stand, but now I could see, as the three standing Senshi unleashed their powers on the remaining enemies.

It was a mismatch, and over quickly; deprived of Fluorite's leadership, his minions were uncoordinated and disoriented. By contrast, Aries and Taurus showed the signs of having worked with each other for some time, and Leo seemed to be a quick study; within a few short moments they had encircled the monsters and blasted them to dust.

I glanced at Sharon, sighing deeply. I could see the strain on her features, and realized it was taking all the power she could manage to keep me upright and conscious. I shook my head at her; she had given up enough of her energy already, and the battle was over. "...save your strength," I told her softly.

She shot me a concerned glance, then reluctantly nodded. The dizziness came over me quickly as she ceased her efforts to hold it back, and I slumped forward into her arms. I was fading quickly; unconsciousness seemed so much more comfortable than what I was feeling, and I was so tired... I did manage to give her one more smile, though--a small one, to try to tell her I was okay--before I did give way to the blackness.

*****

I awakened in a familiar position, if one made somewhat less pleasant by the combination of a great deal of pain and the fact that I was still in my Senshi form. I mention the latter point mainly because it was a disturbing experience to awaken and find myself female... this body feels things differently and reacts to them differently as well, and in the half-conscious state that comes with having just been awakened the unfamiliarity was disorienting and uncomfortable. The pain, well, I don't think I need to explain that. Having been blasted, burned, and slammed down on a floor covered in sharp glass, I was not in the best of condition, Senshi resiliency or no.

As for that familiar position? I was laying on Sharon's bed. Sharon was beside me, having already de-transformed; she still looked very tired, but otherwise seemed okay. Her expression as my eyes turned to her as I stirred enough for her to notice was one of relief.

"How are you feeling, Jon?" she asked, softly enough for the others to not hear from where they were sitting across the room.

I shrugged a bit, and winced. "Like I got in a car wreck and went through the windshield." She frowned at that, and I gave her a reassuring smile. "...I'll be okay. Just really, really sore. I'll want to take it easy for a while, I think, though."

She nodded slightly, glancing at the others, who had not seemed to notice yet that I was awake. Stephanie was laying on her own bed, though it seemed to me that she was doing so more for comfort than any need to rest. Ash and Taurus were sitting at a small table by the window, both of them looking outside through the thin curtains. I couldn't see what they were looking at from where I was, but the fact that they were looking out at all implied that there was something to see. Being the curious person that I am, I tried to sit up so that I could see better.

I should have known better than to try to sit up quickly in my state... no sooner had I reached an upright position than I was overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness which very nearly toppled me off the bed completely. I caught myself, with a little help from Sharon who quickly grasped my arm, then rested my head on one hand. "Ow..."

That got the others' attention, and they all turned to face me. "You should take it easy, Jon," Cali chided. "You took quite a beating, and even with Senshi powers you're not indestructible, you know."

Stephanie's head jerked up at that; she looked first at Cali, then at me, then at Sharon, and then back to me. "Jon? As in Sharon's Jon?"

I nodded weakly, producing another dizzy spell. Deciding that this sitting thing was not the best of ideas, I lay back down; I'd just ask Ash and Cali what they were looking at later. With a wry smile, I answered, "...the very same."

Stephanie laughed, then shook her head. "...I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh about that. It's just that I had guessed about Sharon. It was obvious, really; if anyone at this convention was going to be a Senshi, it would *have* to be Sharon. You, though; I knew there was *something* up with you... I guessed that you just knew about it, since there didn't seem to be a Tuxedo boy running around. But this... this I didn't see coming. I guess it explains a few things, though."

"...you all know each other?" Ash asked cautiously, seemingly uncertain about what she should think of this development.

Sharon answered before either Stephanie or I could. "Well, they both know me. They hadn't met each other before this weekend." She turned on her side, running one hand lightly across my forehead, just the touch seeming to dispel some of the throbbing in my head. Quietly I wondered at that... she wasn't even transformed, and her touch alone was enough to push back the pain I was feeling. It reinforced something I was already starting to believe--that even among the Senshi, Sharon was someone special.

Stephanie nodded her agreement. "Quite that. Sharon and I have been friends for a long time. In fact, we were sharing this room at the con; it's why I suggested we come back here. With all the commotion, it makes a good cover story; we can claim we were having some sort of party here and all fell asleep when the effect hit."

Ash nodded. "It's not a bad plan," she agreed, glancing out the window. Her expression took on an air of concern, one she quickly suppressed. "...I think the police will be around soon, and they're probably going to check all the rooms."

I frowned at that. "I should change back, then." It was not the most pleasant of prospects; I had no idea what giving up the magical properties of my Senshi body would do with regards to my wounds. On the other hand, there was not really much of a choice. Closing my eyes, I concentrated a moment, and felt the magic ripple over me as my body and clothing resumed their natural form. All in all, it was not so unpleasant as I might have expected it to be; I felt much the same as I had before... except I felt like myself again, which helped in a way that's difficult to put to words.

Sharon frowned. "...my parents are going to have a fit over this," she said softly. "If anyone tells them we were having a party in our room, that is."

Stephanie smiled an amused sort of smile. "Leave that to me," she assured. "I'll take care of it. I wouldn't be telling anyone you were in bed with Jon, though... that might be a bit more difficult to cover. And that makes twice this weekend, too." Sharon groaned, anticipating the response that would come from that.

She was not disappointed, as Cali predictably jumped in with, "See? I *told* you that you weren't fooling anybody, Sharon-chan." She put a sort of emphasis on the familiar postfix, as if referring to something in a discussion that I had missed. Evidently the two of them *had* spoken in my absence the night before... but perhaps not about what I *thought* they would.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Sharon countered vehemently, then looked at me, blushed a bit, and quickly added '...well, not *that* way, anyway,"

Cali grinned. "Mmm-hmm. Right. I'll have to ask him that question sometime when you're not around and see what he says." Her eyes fell on me, as if trying to read something in my expression, and I hoped that I wasn't blushing as badly as I felt like I probably was. The disorientation I was already feeling from my injuries wasn't helping me control my embarrassment any better, and I was quite certain it was showing.

"I think we have bigger concerns," Ash said coolly. "This convention is over, now... even if this wasn't the last day, it would end after the amount of destruction we wreaked in the lobby." She turned to Stephanie. "We were lucky today... lucky that you showed up when you did, lucky that Fluorite had disabled the security cameras as part of his scheme, lucky that nobody came up to the hotel during the fight to see us leave afterward. We can't count on being that lucky again."

I nodded, wincing slightly as that brought back some of the pain. "That's exactly what I was trying to say the other day, Ash. We leave too much to chance, we don't plan enough. This General was stupid; if he'd run away to his Mistress--Amethyst, he called her?--with our identities, we'd have been screwed. Fortunately for us, he was dumb enough to hang around and fight. Even then, it almost turned very bad for us. We've got to be better prepared next time."

Ash nodded slowly. "Yes... this time I agree with you." She glanced at Stephanie. "We've all thrown around a lot of ideas that we'll have to discuss, but do you have any suggestions?"

Stephanie smiled a bit. "I'm glad you asked. I've been thinking about this, and I've got a few ideas that I think you'll appreciate... I need to do a little research first, though. I suggest we meet again later this week; I can contact you all to arrange a place and time. Until then, have we all exchanged phone numbers, email addresses, and the like?"

Cali grinned. "Email addresses... good idea. I think we all have each others' phone numbers, and we have the communicators, but I don't think any of us had thought about email."

"We'll want to be sure we use encryption if we include anything sensitive," I pointed out, "but really, any sensitive information should be handled by the communicators anyway. Email and phone calls can be intercepted."  
Stephanie nodded. "Exactly. Places and times and such can be done by any means, though... so long as we don't put in the message *why* we're meeting." She thought a moment, then added, "The convention provides a convenient cover story for us, too... if anyone asks where we all met, that is. Like Sharon's parents, who almost certainly will."

Sharon scowled a bit, then sighed. "Yeah, this is going to be really fun to explain. I'll be lucky if they ever let me go to a convention again after this one. Then again, with all of this... we may not *want* to."

I slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed to help with the dizziness, and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Sharon. Your parents know me, right? And they like me... or at least I think they do. I can help cover for you."

She tried to smile, to make me think that she felt reassured, but I could tell otherwise. This had her worried more even than she was letting on. I *would* help her, though. I'd think of a way... it was the least I could do.

With that, it seemed that everyone had run out of things to say. The silence hung over the room heavily, taking its weight from the shared concerns in all of our minds. Ash and Cali stared out the window a while longer; I sat on the bed, wishing my head would clear so I could offer some better comfort to Sharon than idle promises. Sharon leaned up against me, resting in my arms, her presence both a comfort and a reminder of exactly what it was that had me so worried to begin with. Stephanie lay still on her bed, still lost in thought.

I think nearly half an hour had passed without anyone moving from those positions before Ash and Cali finally stood up, taking one last glance out the window before turning to face the rest of us. "There are people up and about now," Ash told us. "We're going to go back to our room, and start heading out of here like the rest of the crowd seems to be doing. You three should probably do the same... most of the people here are scared out of their wits by what they're seeing, and we don't want to appear any different from everyone else."

Stephanie nodded, glancing quickly in our direction. "I'll stay here a little while with Jon and Sharon... he doesn't seem quite ready to drive home yet. If anyone asks, I'll come up with a good story for them." She glanced at Sharon and I and grinned. "These two can't lie worth anything."

Cali smirked. "I've noticed that about them." She winked in our direction, then turned back to Stephanie. "So... you'll get in touch with us about when to meet?" Seeing Stephanie nod again in response, she turned to Ash, then back to us. "That sounds like a plan. See you all later this week." With that, the two of them turned to leave. I raised one of my hands to wave at them weakly, getting a nod from Ash and a more enthusiastic wave from Cali, and then they were gone.

"Interesting pair," Stephanie observed after the door had closed behind them. "Very interesting."

"...that's not the word I would use," I muttered.

"Oh, but you should," she answered. "It covers so *many* things, and leaves just enough ambiguity that it forces people to speculate on exactly what way it applies. It's a perfect word for them. And us, really. And this whole situation."

"...may you live in interesting times," Sharon quoted softly. "Never thought my life would qualify."

At that, Stephanie grinned. "Oh, *that* much I saw coming from the moment I met you, Sharon-chan." She glanced at me. "Him, too, for that matter. You were born for interesting times. And now? The fun's just beginning."

Never have truer words been spoken, I think... and never have I more desired to bring bodily harm on the one who put them to voice.

*******  
End Episode Four

* * *

Next Episode: Turn out the lights, the convention's over... it's time for us to get on with our lives. Of course, those lives will never be the same as they were before. Being a Senshi at an anime convention is rough, but it's got nothing on trying to live as one in the so-called real world. If that wasn't bad enough, who's this guy in the tuxedo who suddenly starts popping up when we get in a fight, and how does he know where to find us? Maybe it's just part of the mythos, but you know how much stock I put in that. Next time? Tuxedo Stalker! And you thought being surrounded by beautiful girls would be fun.


	5. Episode Five: Magical Boy

Stormwalker presents...

Even if the convention had not been scheduled to end that day, it would have been over after the destruction we had wrought on the hotel's lobby. For that matter, as I stood behind the police line watching investigators pick through the remains of the battle zone, I began to doubt there would ever be another anime convention in this city again. Part of me wanted to be angry. Who gave this Fluorite, whoever he had been, the right to take something precious away from all the people who had been at this con? They hadn't done anything to him, after all. It was a trivial matter, true... but it offended my sense of justice somehow.

Then again, I thought as I felt Sharon slip her arm around my waist and pull me close to her, he had tried to take something far more precious to me than that. I suppressed a shudder as the images flashed through my mind again of his sudden appearance behind Sharon and the terror on her face as she scrambled to escape his attack. Trying to push that thought away, I squeezed Sharon gently. I guess I just needed to reassure myself that she was really there and unharmed.

She seemed to sense the shift in my emotions, and looked up at me questioningly. "You okay, Jon?" she asked quietly.

I nodded slightly, not really able to put my concerns to voice amidst the crowd that had gathered. "...I'm all right. Longer I look at this, though, the more disturbing it gets." The sheer amount of collateral damage that had been done to the area during our battle was staggering to look at. The lobby was a total loss. What walls were still standing were scorched black, slashed, or riddled with cracks and holes. Giant chunks of concrete from the foundation had been ripped up through the floor by Taurus' attacks, and the entire glass entryway had been blasted in by Leo's first sonic burst. My mind searched for any kind of disaster, natural or otherwise, that this resembled and came up with nothing.

"...yeah," Sharon agreed quietly. Her tone was hushed, and I wondered if she was drawing the same conclusion as I. If the local news had not reflected well on us after the first incident, what were they going to think of this? We would be branded as a menace for certain. I sighed, and she looked up at me again with worried eyes. "...let's go, Jon," she suggested. "I don't want to think about this right now."

I nodded my agreement, and we turned to go. Still, as we left the battle zone and the convention behind us, I could not help but think the events of this past weekend had so irrevocably changed us that we would never quite escape them, no matter what was to come. We were going home, perhaps, but those homes and the lives they represented would never be the same.

* * *

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Gemini

A work of fanfiction by Douglas A. Reeves

Episode Five - Magical Boy

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:

I don't own Sailor Moon, nor did I create many of the concepts

in this story. These are used without permission, and with no

intent or effort to profit by the work.

* * *

The drive away from the con was a surprisingly emotional moment for me. It was time, I knew, to take Sharon home, back to her parents' house... and then for me to go back to mine. It seems, I suppose, a bit silly now; the con had lasted not even three days, and it really is a very short time for such a change as I experienced in my feelings toward her... yet those three days had seemed like so a lifetime in and of themselves. We had gone into battle together, risked our lives together, faced fear and doubt and hurt together, and formed a bond that was impossibly deep for the little time we had shared it.

I think for the first time, I began then to realize that there was something more to this than just those three days, that emotions of this depth had to have a basis in something greater than simple common cause. There was something magical about the whole thing, something that drew me to Sharon and her to me, something beyond any of our comprehension. I wasn't sure what to think of that. Ash, I was certain, would call it the echo of a forgotten past... not that I had any intention of asking for her opinion. And then there was Fluorite, who had called me by another name, one I did not know.

I didn't want to think about that, didn't want to spend what little time I had left to share with Sharon over this weekend thinking about things that might or might not be. I just wanted to make the moments last as long as I could manage, to enjoy them as much as I could. I suppose it's a little irrational, considering that we lived close enough that I could see her almost any time I wanted, but the echoes of the morning's battle still weighed in my mind. I'd almost lost her once, and I wanted to be with her, to stay with her and keep her safe.

Of course, her parents would have different views. I was nervous about seeing them; they knew me already, and even liked me, but that was before I'd fallen in love with their daughter. Sharon had always described them as overprotective, and while I'd never run up against that tendency to say much about it, I had to wonder what they would think if they even picked up a hint of the degree of affection I held for her now. Probably best that they didn't know the whole truth; trying to explain that could make for entirely too sticky of a situation.

I looked over at Sharon, who was sitting silently in the passenger seat, wearing a thoughtful expression. "Whatcha thinkin'?" I asked as casually as I could manage, trying to smile a bit to hide my own concerns.

"I don't want to go home," she answered softly. She looked down with an embarrassed expression, as if she had not meant to say it aloud. "I mean... I know I have to, and it's not that I don't want to be there, but..."

"I know," I agreed, my voice hushed. "I don't want to take you home, either. I don't want to let you out of my sight."

She looked up at me again, seemingly relieved at my answer. "I don't know why, but it makes me happy to hear you say that," she said, blushing a little. I don't know that I'd ever seen her act like this before; Sharon is usually the outgoing, bubbly type; now she was being reserved, quiet, even shy.

I could relate. There were a million things I wanted to say then, and there simply weren't words for them, and I was afraid to say anything at all for fear of it not being enough, of not putting the depths of my feelings into words. It was like something had awakened inside me, something familiar and yet not, something that I knew in my heart, but didn't understand in my mind, and I didn't trust myself to give voice to it. How could I? Logically, it all made no sense. For all that had happened, for all the power of these emotions, my disbelief held me back; it was like a dream, really.

Looking back, I think I was afraid the dream was about to end. I was afraid that I would drop Sharon off at her parents' house, and I'd go back home, and everything would go back to normal. Not that normal was bad--I'd have given almost anything to be rid of that Senshi girl body--but the thought of losing what I'd discovered with Sharon over the weekend was unbearable to me. If the price of that discovery was that I spent the rest of my life dealing with the chaos and the change and everything that went with being a Senshi, it was worth it. I'd hold on to it and cherish it and fight for it if need be. I would not let that go.

The time passed in silence, as neither of us seemed to have words for it, and all too soon we were pulling up in front of her house. As we stopped the car, she glanced quickly in my direction, then nervously in the direction of the house. Then, with a heavy sigh, she turned back to me. "...you'd probably better just drop me off, Jon. My parents are going to want to know all about the mess at the hotel, and it'll be easier to lie about it if it's just me."

I nodded slightly. "All right. Should I call you later?"

"Please do." She forced herself to smile, and in the sadness of her expression in that moment she was almost painfully beautiful. I wanted to reach out and hold her then, and not let her go... but I knew that would not fly well with her parents, either.

I sighed. "Okay, I'll talk to you then. I'll drop by in the next couple of days sometime, too. We'll go out and do something."

She smiled, seeming a bit happier this time. "Okay." She glanced back up at the house anxiously, then said reluctantly, "I need to go. My parents are going to have to find out about us sometime, but I'd rather it not be from us sitting here like lovebirds in the car in front of the house. My dad would kill me."

I tried not to laugh, but I couldn't help it. Fortunately, she giggled a bit, too, and her mood seemed a little lighter as she opened the door and slipped out of the car. "You better call me, Jon," she warned. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"I will, I will," I answered, then leaned over so I could lower my voice a bit. "I love you, Sharon."

She didn't look back, but she answered just loud enough that I could hear as she walked away. "I love you, too." Then she walked quickly up the front steps to her house, trying to put on a good show of being in a good mood for her parents. She had a lot of explaining to do, and having to explain about me wouldn't help matters.

Of course, if I sat there in the car in front of her house all day, it would only make things worse. Starting up the car again, I pulled away, my thoughts turning to my own explanations that would have to be made.

*****

As expected, there were a thousand and one questions waiting for me when I got home. Don't get me wrong--if I had been in my parents' position, I'd have wanted some answers, too--but as I listend to the questions and tried to answer them as tersely as I could, my only thought was how nice it was going to be to move into my apartment. Just a month away, and it would make my life _so_ much easier. Of course, that presupposed that I didn't get _caught_ by my parents before then; as much as I hate to admit it, Leo had me pegged. I'm a terrible liar.

I tried to say as little as I could, to pretend lack of any kind of knowledge. "You probably know more about it than I do," I told them. "I haven't even seen the news yet. Nobody at the hotel had any idea what happened, that I talked to."

They didn't seem to like that answer, but they accepted it. In truth I was probably worried more than I should have been. Since I graduated from high school, they let me do pretty much whatever I wanted so long as I stayed out of trouble, and it's not like they could blame me for the damage at the hotel. I think my mother, especially, was just happy to see me alive and unharmed.

Of course, she still had to carry on about it. Mom's the worrying type, which is probably where I get it from, and she went on and on about how I should be careful, and should stay away from dangerous people and places... as if I could have avoided the situation. I'm just glad they didn't know I was _part_ of it. I'd have never lived it down.

My father was calmer about it. "Now, dear, it's not as though anyone could have anticipated this," he reassured her, before turning to me. "I'm more concerned about how you are feeling. They said several people were taken to the hospital for examination with excessive fatigue." He looked me over for a moment. "Obviously, you can't be too badly off, though, since you drove home."

I nodded. "I'm a little tired, but I'm okay. I took Sharon home first... she seemed a little worse off, but I don't think she'll have a problem."

"Sharon?" my mother asked, curious. "Is that your girlfriend?"

I blinked, trying to hide the sudden embarrassment that would certainly give me away. "...Mom, you know Sharon. The girl from the anime club? She was at the con and didn't have a ride home."

She gave me a knowing sort of smile. "Yes, yes, of course." I sighed. Mom had always been pestering me about finding a girlfriend. Why, I don't know. You'd think she would want me to concentrate on my schoolwork or something. Now she was jumping to conclusions. The fact that she was right didn't help, either.

My father just shook his head slightly from his vantage point on the couch. I knew that look well... every man in my family has it. It's the one that reads, "I'm not getting involved." Unfortunately, I have yet to master that particular expression... though I suspect with the company I keep now, I'll learn it quickly enough.

Fine, leave me with no backup, I thought in his direction, and I'm sure that look was more than apparent on my face. Turning back to my mother, I just shrugged. "I won't deny that I like her a lot, Mom," I said, opting for the understatement tack, "but it's not like we're going out or anything."

I felt kind of guilty over that. I hadn't lied... Sharon and I hadn't gone out on any kind of 'date' yet--unless you count a burger joint at 3 AM, and I don't--but it was a sort of deception. Honestly, I just didn't feel like talking about it. It's not that I'd mind my mother knowing, so much, but she'd make a big deal over it, and just end up embarrassing me in front of Sharon or my friends. No thanks, y'know?

Of course, that didn't mean she didn't see through it. "Well, you should invite her over for dinner some time, Jon," she told me. I glanced again at my father, looking for some kind of rescue, but none was forthcoming. In fact, from the smirk he was wearing I think he was rather enjoying his neutral ground.

I couldn't exactly refuse, either; aside from our relationship, just Senshi business would keep Sharon and I in much closer contact than we'd been before. Of course, most of that would be conducted away from my family, but it would be impossible to keep from them that I was spending as much time with her as I expected to. If I didn't pass the invitation on to Sharon myself, I was certain my mother would do it for me. And then Sharon would demand to know why I hadn't invited her myself. And... it was a no-win scenario. Accepting defeat, I shrugged. "All right, I'll ask her sometime."

Mom smiled. "Be sure to find out what she likes for dinner," she reminded me, as if expecting me to run out and invite her over this very weekend. Dad smirked a bit at that, but still kept himself carefully out of the discussion.

"Right," I answered, trying not to sound dismissive or sarcastic, though I felt very much both of those. They may let me do things my way most of the time, but disrespect doesn't fly with either of them. Then I yawned, and for all that it might have been the perfect time to affect weariness, there was no act involved. I was sleepy... very sleepy, really. I guess the lack of sleep and all that combat had finally worn me down. "Mom, Dad, I think I'm going to go rest a while."

Mom looked worried again. "You're sure you're okay, Jon?"

I nodded a bit. "I didn't sleep much this weekend. Too much to do at the con."

She frowned, but nodded. "All right. Be sure you get up in time for dinner."

I nodded, heading down the hallway toward my bedroom. "I will." I would, too. After all, I'd promised someone a phone call, and her parents wouldn't like it too much if I called too late.

*****

There are few feelings more annoying than wanting to rush through something when there are too many reasons why you can't. That night, dinner was that way. I wanted to just wolf down my food and run back to my room so that I could call Sharon, but I knew better than to do any such thing in front of my parents. Aside from the fact that they would be upset at me for being rude, it would tip my mother off to just how much I wanted to talk to Sharon, and the last thing I needed was to give her any more encouragement as to the conclusions she had drawn. So I sat and made conversation with my parents, trying to eat as quickly as I could without seeming like I was trying to escape from the table.

Though it seemed like an eternity at the time, I did in fact excuse myself from the table in quite a bit less time than I might under normal circumstances. Why I was so anxious to call Sharon I don't know... I just felt a need to talk to her. I think part of it was that I was worried, and wanted to know things had gone with her parents. Still, there was more to it than that. Ever since all of this had begun, I found that I felt incomplete whenever I was apart from her... as though the part of me that was most dear to me was missing. I understand all of this now, in light of all that I have learned since, but at the time it was puzzling, even worrisome to me.

This is not to say that I ever doubted my love for her, or ever hesitated in my committment to her. I could feel, though, the presence of the magic that was and is wound about our souls, and I was still not comfortable with that; I feared that it would carry us in directions we were not prepared to go, perhaps. I did know this much, however: wherever Sharon went, I would follow, prepared or otherwise.

All of this said, it was a great relief to hear her voice. She seemed a little exasperated, but not truly upset; it seemed her parents had given her a difficult time much as my mother had given me, though perhaps the questioning was a bit more pointed with her family. "You wouldn't believe it, Jon," she told me, speaking in a conspiratory whisper. "Either they're paranoid or they're psychic, because they asked me fifteen million questions about you. I reminded them that they had already met you, of course, and then they remembered, but that didn't stop them asking. I didn't even try to lie to them... well, not about us anyway. I obviously didn't tell them about the whole Senshi thing. I don't think that would have gone over very well."

I had to smirk at that. "No, I imagine not." I paused, a bit uncomfortably, before posing the next question. "So what did they say?"

"About us?" Sharon responded. "Well, I didn't tell them that we're together or anything... but I think they kinda guessed. It's okay, I think... I mean, we already know they like you. I just... I don't think we should tell them how we really feel about all this. It's so much, so soon, and I don't think they'll understand. I mean, I don't even understand it. It's just... something I know."

"I know," I agreed softly, my thoughts drifting a little. There was something else to this, something that kept popping up in the back of my mind, but I couldn't quite put my mind on it. "It doesn't make sense, you know," I finally said to her. "If you look at it rationally, I mean. If you had told me a week ago that we'd be having this conversation, I'd have told you that you were crazy. Yet now, I can't imagine being any other way. It's like something just... woke up. It can't be coincidence. It's connected to all these other things somehow. I just can't quite see the link."

There was a long silence then, and I found myself worried that I had said something wrong. Then, hesitantly, Sharon answered, "Jon... when I first met you, I was sure that I'd seen you before. That I'd known you before. I asked you about that, remember?"

I remembered. How could I forget? It's not often one has a pretty girl (and Sharon _is_ beautiful, in an understated sort of way. You'd have to meet her to understand.) walk up to you and ask, "Have I met you before?" I have to admit I didn't know what to think at the time... the question caught me off-guard. And yet she had seemed familiar to me, except that as I'd looked back in my memory there hadn't been anyone quite like her.

"I remember," I answered, my thoughts running in parallel with the conclusion I knew she was drawing. It... it wasn't something I wanted to believe in. There were implications in it that frightened me. Even so, it was difficult not to trace the evidence to that end. "She's right, isn't she?" I asked. "Ash, I mean. There's more to all this than just the here and now."

"Maybe so." Her voice was scarcely a whisper. I think she knew how much the thought worried me... and perhaps it even worried her, too. Certainly it brought questions with difficult answers. How much of this path had we chosen, and how much was chosen for us? What had gone before that we did not recall... and who had we been, that we did not remember?

"It doesn't matter," I said finally, and from her gasp in response I realized there had been more edge on the words than I had intended. "Sharon, I'm not going to sit and worry about what brought us to where we are, or whether we chose this for ourselves. I know what I want... I know who I love. The how and why isn't important, so long as I have you. The rest... either we'll find out or we won't. I'm not going to dwell on it. I can't. I know that I love you, and that's all I need to know."

She was silent a long moment, leading me to worry again if I had said the wrong thing. When she did finally answer, though, there was a sense of relief in her voice that quieted my fears. "I love you, too, Jon." She paused again, as if hesitant to go on, then added, "but then, I've loved you since I first met you. I was afraid to say it... afraid you wouldn't understand... but I've always loved you. And I think you should know."

I had no answer for that. Nothing I could say seemed adequate, really. In memory I looked back across the year and some that I had known her, and suddenly things began to make sense. The way she always smiled when she saw me, or always made time for anything that I was doing. The gifts... she never forgot my birthday, and sometimes would just give me things out of the blue. I wish I could say I'd been as good about it, but, well... I'm bad about that sort of thing. Before, I'd thought that was just the way she was--and it is, to an extent, but with me it was always more.

"Maybe I wouldn't have," I answered softly. "Before all of this happened, I didn't believe in that sort of thing. Or maybe I did and didn't know it. Now, though... after what I've seen, I can't deny it, can I? I don't want to deny it anymore." I shuddered a bit at those words, for the reflected a larger change in my viewpoint than just as regarded Sharon. I needed now to know the truth, to face the truth. I couldn't go on trying to pretend that larger forces weren't working in my life. "It's too important to deny."

"Yes," she agreed, and if ever I have wanted to reach through a phone and hold her, it was in that moment. I think she could sense the greater turmoil in my heart, and I could feel her love for me, even over the distance, calm my fears and steady me. This was, I realized, her true power... to give of herself freely, without hesitation, to strengthen those around her.

And that, perhaps more than any other reason, is why I love her.

*****

It was about noon the next day when Stephanie called. Ignoring the raised eyebrow from my mother when she handed me the phone, I tried to push back the sleepy fog which was hanging over me. I had not slept much the night before, having too much on my mind, but if I had learned any one thing about Sailor Leo, it was that I didn't want to be mentally slow when dealing with her. "This is Jon," I answered, my eyes falling in the direction of my mother who obviously had no intention of leaving the room.

"Well, aren't we the pleasant one today?" she responded in her most infuriatingly cheerful tone. Before I could respond, though, she added, "Your mother told me you were still in bed. Are you doing okay?"

I looked reproachfully at Mom, who just shrugged in my direction and turned back to whatever she was pretending to do. "Oh, she did? Yes, I'm fine. Just catching up on sleep after the weekend, you know how it is."

Stephanie laughed, recognizing my evasive answer for what it was. "She's still in the room, isn't she? Well, I'll make this quick, then, and we can discuss details sometime when you're alone. We need to get everyone together for a planning session. I figured we should hold it at Ash and Cali's place... since they share an apartment, we won't have to worry about anyone else popping up at inopportune times."

I nodded. "That makes sense. My schedule is pretty open, so whenever they think is good will work for me. You should probably check with Sharon, though."

"I already did," she answered, and I could sense the smile in her voice. "Unlike some people, she doesn't sleep until noon. She thought that tomorrow afternoon would be good... that gives us a lot of time without having to worry about getting home too late and irritating her parents. She needs a ride, though. Can you pick her up?"

I glanced quickly at Mom again. In a sense, I was caught here... I wasn't sure how Sharon going out with me again so soon would sit with her parents, but I couldn't exactly voice that misgiving in front of my mother, either. "Yeah, I can do that," I agreed. Sharon had, after all, said she thought her parents had guessed about us already anyway, so it should be all right. I hoped.

"That's perfect, then. Does three o'clock work for you?"

I thought about that a moment. "Sure. I'll need directions, though. Can you email them to me?"

"I already did that, too," she answerd. I blinked at that, then realized that Sharon must have given her my address. She laughed softly, evidently sensing my surprise. "You really do underestimate me, Jon," she said, and I could almost see her not-quite-smug expression in my mind. I should have been expecting that, too, I suppose; Stephanie seemed the sort of person who took a sort of pride in being one step ahead of everyone else.

"Well, then, I guess I'll go check for those. Was there anything else you wanted?"

"No, that should do it. I trust you will work out the details with Sharon... so I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Sure. See you then." After she hung up the phone, I set it lightly on its cradle and then glanced again in Mom's direction. "I've got another call to make, but I'm going to go back to my room."

"Now, don't run off, Jon," she answered, a curious look in her eye. "Who is this Stephanie person, anyway? I don't think you've ever mentioned her before...?"

"She's one of Sharon's friends, Mom. I just met her this weekend, actually, so I don't really know her very well yet, either." I shrugged, trying to play down our acquaintance. "They're going out with some of their other friends tomorrow, and invited me along."

She smiled a bit. "Oh, so you and Sharon must be closer than you've been letting on, if you're going out with her friends," she teased.

Ouch. I'd stepped into that one, hadn't I? Still, I recovered fairly quickly... I may be a poor liar, but I do think well on my feet when I have to. "Sharon doesn't have her driver's license yet, so I think they just needed someone with a car."

"Surely one of them could have picked her up, though," Mom pointed out. "If you were invited, there must be _some_ reason for having you along with them."

"Who knows?" I answered, trying to sound dismissive. Somehow I don't think I was as effective as I would have liked to be, because the knowing look never went out of her eyes. "It's not like I have a whole lot to do, since I'm not working this week, so I said yes."

Evidently deciding she wasn't going to get more of an answer than that out of me, she just shrugged. "If you say so. If you really do think there is nothing to this, though, you might want to be sure that Sharon sees it the same way..."

I shook my head, trying very hard not to smile. "Trust me... you don't need to worry about that."

*****

It seems odd to say, after everything I had been through in the previous week, that I was nervous standing on the doorstep of Sharon's house. But as I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell, I found myself hesitant, even fearful. I can't even really explain why... it was not as if I had never met Sharon's family before, and I had always gotten along well with them in the past. I guess I was worried because I knew Sharon was worried. Or maybe just because now it was more important that I get along with them than it had been before... in the past I hadn't really given it much thought. Now, I was terrified of making some misstep that would cause me problems for, well... the rest of my life.

The rest of my life. Yes, even at that point, I thought in those terms when it came to Sharon. I guess that's where the intimidation factor really came in. With all the seeming fate and destiny that had pushed Sharon and I together, and all the magic that seemed to swirl about the two of us, I simply couldn't envision ever being apart from her again. Her parents didn't know that, of course. They couldn't know that. To them, I was just another young man with an eye on their precious daughter. There was no way to explain it to them, either... so if they decided to make things difficult, I would just have to ride it out.

Sharon's mother--a tall, fair-haired woman who looked about ten years younger than the forty I knew her to be--answered the door, and I tried my best to look as though I was not frightened out of my wits. Since I'm not very good at these things, I'm sure I wasn't very convincing. Stil, she smiled warmly at me and invited me inside. "Oh, hello, Jon. Sharon said she would be down in a minute, so please, make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you, ma'am," I answered in my most polite voice, relaxing ever so slightly. At least she still seemed friendly. Following her into the living room, I took a seat on the couch, trying not to glance too anxiously toward the stairs where I knew Sharon would appear. I mentally chided myself... I was acting exactly like what I didn't want to seem... a high-school kid picking up a girl for their first date. Frantically I tried to think of something to say, but the only topics that came to mind--the weekend, Sharon herself, and the like--were exactly what I really didn't want to talk about.

I was rescued from that particular snare, however, by Sharon's voice from somewhere upstairs. "Mom, can you come here a minute please?" she called out.

Mrs. Reine smiled pleasantly. "I'm sorry, Jon, can you excuse me a moment?" I nodded quickly, hoping I didn't seem are relieved as I felt, and she turned quickly and walked toward the stairs. Left by myself, I glanced around the room a little. I had forgotten just how well-off Sharon's parents were; while their home was not extravagant in any sense of the word, everything in it was of high quality... my parents could scarcely afford even one piece of furniture from this room, much less all of it. Even so, there was something about this place that made me feel welcome, more so than in my other friends' homes. It was even enough to make me relax a little.

Of course, that just meant that my guard was down when Sharon's father appeared from out of the kitchen. "Oh, hello, Jon," he greeted me pleasantly, extending his hand to me. "How's it going?"

I stood, shaking his hand firmly, though as always I doubt that I impressed him much. Mr. Reine is not a tall man, but he has broad shoulders and a powerful musculature, and his grip was quite a bit stronger than anything I could manage in my natural form. "Pretty well," I answered, giving my standard response. Better not to elaborate, I thought, lest I provoke questions I really didn't want to answer.

He nodded, still smiling, and took a seat in the leather recliner off to one side of the couch. I was just sitting down myself when he spoke again. "That was quite an adventure you had this weekend, wasn't it?"

I stiffened a bit at the question, and sat down a little more awkwardly than I intended. "I... well, I think we missed most of the interesting parts." I silently cursed myself once again; it was a lame answer at best, but now I had to run with it. "From what was left of the hotel, though, I think I'm glad."

"Got a good look at it, then?" he asked. "We saw you two on the news, in the crowd looking at the scene." On the news? There had been a news camera there? The pieces suddenly fell into place; no wonder our parents had known about us! We'd had our arms around each other on TV! How did we miss THAT? "We were worried at first that y'all had been involved, since you seemed kind of shell-shocked, but I guess looking at something like that first-hand would spook anybody."

I nodded weakly, knowing I had to tread carefully here. I still didn't know exactly what story Sharon had told them, and if I said too much I ran the risk of contradicting her. I hate this kind of thing... deceiving people just doesn't sit well with me, but I couldn't exactly tell the truth, could I? I was more worried that if they caught us in a lie that they'd think something worse, though. I had to carry this off somehow. "It... was pretty disturbing."

He seemed to study me for a moment, as if I'd let something slip, but not quite enough for him to figure out what it was. He was being entirely too perceptive for my liking; I needed a way to derail his speculations. Then, as suddenly as it had come on, he relaxed and leaned back in his chair. "Well, I was still concerned. Sharon's not the kind of girl to tell us a story, but she also wouldn't want us to worry about her. If you say you weren't there, though, that's good enough for me."

I breathed a soft sigh of relief, hoping it didnt show on my face, and was quietly thankful that he had no idea how close he had come to losing his precious daughter. I remembered how _I_ had felt in that moment--how I still felt, even two days later--and I didn't want to imagine how he would react. Even so, I felt guilty; as Senshi, she and I faced that threat constantly... one mistake and we could be killed, and our parents might never know what had happened to us. Even if they knew, they would never understand what we had died fighting for.

Somewhere in the depths of my heart, I swore that would not happen. I would make provisions for my parents, should anything happen to me. For Sharon... I would make sure her parents never needed to know.

I don't know how long the silence lasted, only that it was broken by the sound of Sharon's hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. "Come on, Jon!" She burst into the room. "We're going to be late!"

Her father glanced at her appraisingly for a few moments before nodding his approval, and I realized that he'd been evaluating her mode of dress. Ok, maybe they really were overprotective, I thought, considering that she was in jeans and a t-shirt. He then turned back to me. "You take good care of my daughter, son... and remember, she has to be home by midnight."

"DAD!" Sharon burst in protest, flustered. "It's not a date! We're going out with Stephanie and her friends!"

"Listen to your father, Sharon," her mother's voice floated in from the stairs, where she was just coming back down. "We just want what's good for you."

She sighed. "Yes, mother."

I just agreed, not wanting to drag this out any further; like Sharon had said, we were already running late. "Midnight, then." Ignoring the how-dare-you-agree-with-them look Sharon fired in my direction at that, I smiled at her and motioned to the door. "Let's get going."

*****

We were about a block away from her house when all the pent-up annoyance and frustration she'd been holding in finally exploded. "Jon, it's horrible! They won't leave me alone! I was ready to go ten minutes before you got here, but Dad got all upset because he said the skirt I was wearing was too short... but they didn't get mad when I was dressed up as Sailor Moon, and that was--"

"--a lot shorter, yes." I started to comment that her version of a Senshi skirt had still been longer than her Sailor Cancer fuku, but realized that I'd probably already misstepped by admitting I'd noticed such a thing at all. Better to change the subject... "That was _before_ they saw us hanging on each other on the twelve o'clock news. Remember the scene at the hotel?"

Her eyes went wide and she slumped back against the seat. "Well, that explains a lot. Mom's been dropping hints all morning that there's something I need to tell her... and Dad is just convinced that this is some kind of date, ever since I told him who was picking me up."

I had to smile a bit at that. "Yeah, I've been getting the same kind of treatment. And I was trying to convince my mom it was nothing, too. Now I know why she didn't believe me."

She sighed a little, then gave a bit of a shrug. "It could be worse, though. They could know about the other thing."

"Don't even say that!" I pointed at the fake woodgrain paneling on the dashboard. "Knock on that! It'll have to do!"

She laughed. "I _know_ they don't know about that. This they might let slide, but that? I'd never hear the end of it."

"...you're just determined to jinx us, aren't you?"

"You know it," she answered, sticking her tongue out at me. Then, seeing a convenience store on the side of the road, she pointed it out. "Stop there a minute. I skipped breakfast; didn't want to put up with the interrogation at the table." Then she sighed. "I guess I'm going to have some explaining to do when I get back home."

I shrugged. So much for any chance of being on time. "It's like you said... it could be worse."

*****

Thankfully, Ash's and Cali's apartment wasn't too difficult to find, so we only wound up about ten minutes late. Of course, that was more than late enough to open us up for a few pointed barbs from various corners.

"Well, the lovebirds finally arrive!" Cali announced upon answering the door. "Come in, come in... what kept you? Trying to sneak in some time alone?"

Sharon was evidently not in a mood to put up with the teasing. "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. It's--"

"--not like that?" Leo looked up from the spot she had staked out on the couch. "I have video that says otherwise, Sharon-chan. You two really need to be more careful about the PDA, you know."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Et tu, Stephanie?"

The Senshi of Leo shrugged. "I just don't see why you keep trying to deny it. Your parents obviously know, and there's no reason to hide it from anyone else, right?"

Cali grinned, slipping an arm around my shoulders before I could avoid her advance. "If you're ashamed of him, I'll gladly take him off your hands. I'm sure he's lots of fun in..."

I almost laughed. Almost. Two sudden realizations, however, put a quick stop to that response. The first was that Cali was serious. She wanted me, and even the fact that I was clearly in love with Sharon was barely enough to hold her back, to keep her remarks in the realm of innuendo and humor. That came to me as a surprise, but the other realization was far more shocking.

Sharon was angry.

It wasn't an obvious thing... anger isn't in Sharon's temperament, and when she _does_ get angry it's not explosive or even boiling. She didn't raise her voice--in fact, she didn't say anything--or turn red or change her expression at all, except for the slightest narrowing of her eyes as she looked at Cali. I wondered at the intensity of the emotion behind that gaze... Sharon seemed larger than herself, as though something great and powerful had been awakened by her fury.

It was enough. Cali's voice trailed off in mid-sentence, and she took a slow step back away from me. A long, tense moment passed, then Sharon sighed softly, and placed her own hand on my shoulder. "I guess this is my fault, isn't it? I'm sorry, Cali, I should have made it clear." Her voice was soft and almost regretful, and yet there was a certain resolution that seemed to grow in it with each word. "He's mine. He's mine and I'll never let him go... and I'd prefer you stop trying to take him from me."

The words left me almost breathless. For as long as I'd known Sharon, she'd never claimed anything as her own. If someone wanted something that was hers, she'd give it to them. If someone took something that was hers, she wouldn't ask them to return it. This was someone who would take up someone else's cause at the drop of a hat, but I'd never seen her fight for anything of her own.

And here she was ready to fight for me.

The significance of that moment to me is something I can't quite put into words. I won't even try. I wanted to answer her, to affirm her devotion, but how do you respond to something like that? You can't. So I just placed my hand atop hers and squeezed it gently.

Cali shook her head, seemingly a little stunned by this sudden development. "I'm... sorry, Sharon. I didn't realize you were that serious. Really."

Sharon sighed a bit, and her hand turned to grasp mine tightly. "I know. I know it's sudden, I know it's... so much. I get embarrassed, and I give the wrong idea. It's my fault, really. I mean that." She then smiled a bit, adding, "It's still not like _that_, though. Stephanie can comment all she wants about what a prude I am, but I'm proud of it, and I'm not planning to change anytime soon." She waggled a finger in Cali's direction in mock reproof. "So don't assume!"

Cali grinned, and the tension in the room seemed to abate. "I'll assume what I want! You can't take away all my fun!"

At that, I did laugh, and drew Sharon closer to myself, slipping my free arm around her waist. I was still somewhat at a loss for words, but I was not quite ready to let the moment slip past yet. It was yet another hint at something deeper between us than our surface experiences justified, another indicator of a bond that transcended the kind of affection formed in a period of days. Perhaps even more than that, there was something else tugging at the back of my mind, a faint sense of having known these feelings before.

Stephanie's voice called me back from such reflections, her tone edged with a certain irony. "The way you two hang on each other, you make it hard to believe there isn't something going on there, you know, Sharon. I hope for your sake that you tone it down in front of your parents."

Sharon blushed, and at a quick glance from her I let my arm drop by my side. "I think I'd be afraid to stand next to her when her parents are around," I mumbled under my breath, hoping to change the tone of the discussion. Looking around the room, I found an even better opportunity... a chance to change the subject altogether. "Where's Ash, anyway? I thought you said she lived here with you, Cali?"

"She went out to get some food," Cali answered, moving over to one of the chairs near the TV. "Make yourself comfortable... we can't get started 'til she gets back. It shouldn't be long.

*****

After about half an hour, it was clear that Cali was starting to worry. "This isn't like her," she mumbled, perhaps not intending to voice her concerns aloud. "She's never late like this. Maybe I should call her."

"Maybe she's standing in line at the store," Sharon suggested, trying to be helpful.

"I suppose... but she didn't have that much to get. She could have used the express--" She never finished the sentence, as four Senshi communicators chose that moment to simultaneously announce the answer to our question. While Sharon and I fumbled for the sources of the insistent beeping, Cali had hers almost immediately in hand as if it were nothing new to her. "Something wrong?"

"Is everyone there?" Ash's voice was cool as usual, but there was a note of tension in it that belied her calm demeanor.

"Yeah, they've been here a while now." Cali glanced meaningfully in our direction, and between her expression and her careful choice of words, I knew what she was getting at. No names, at least until we knew how secure these communicators were. "What's going on?"

"You might want to turn on the TV."

I frowned; there was something about the way she had said it that gave me a distinctly bad feeling about what was coming.

Stephanie picked up the remote, aiming it in the direction of the TV set. "What channel?" she asked as she clicked it on; the image resolving into what looked like a news update.

"Any channel."

"Goodness..." Sharon breathed, the soft sound of her voice audible over the voice of the news anchor, and I turned toward the TV. The words "Monster Attack" were emblazoned across the top of the screen, with images below of a crowd of our favorite green, scaly friends tearing through what looked like a jewelry store of some sort. It took only a moment longer to realize that this was in a shopping mall, and from the bodies strewn about randomly over the area, it had been a busy one.

"--no idea if the bystanders are dead or merely unconscious," a reporter was explaining. "Emergency workers and police have tried to approach the scene, but anyone who comes near to the attacking creatures collapses almost immediately. They seem to be searching for--oh, god, they're coming this way!" Suddenly, the image broke into static and was replaced by a "technical difficulties" logo.

A few seconds later, the anchorman came on, looking visibly shaken. "That was the scene from Valley Ridge Mall just a few moments--", he began, his voice abruptly cut off when Stephanie shut off the TV.

"I think we've seen enough. We need to go put a stop to this."

Sharon cast me a concerned glance, then nodded. I looked at both of them, then at Cali who indicated her agreement as well.

"I'm on my way there," Ash's voice cut in. "I'm only about two blocks away already, so it would just delay you if I tried to come back."

"We'll meet you there." Cali cut off the connection. "All right, how are we going to do this?"

"Good question," I answered with a shrug. "I was hoping we could work out plans for this sort of thing today. We can't just transform here; if we all go running out of the apartment in Senshi form, we're advertising our secret identities to the whole neighborhood."

Sharon frowned. "All of us showing up on the scene in one car isn't going to be much better, unless we can transform somewhere a few blocks away."

I sighed. "That's true, too. Times like this I wish we could just teleport--"

Stephanie's laugh cut me off in mid-sentence, and I stared blankly at her for a moment before I realized what it was that she found so amusing. "Jon... we can."

Cali blinked in surprise. "That's right, we can. Ash and I had to do it once, and if two of us can, then four can for sure. Everybody transform, I'll show you how it's done." While the others dug out their henshin wands, Cali went around turning out lights and locking the front door. As they all changed, I found myself turning my back just to keep from staring. Besides, like I'd said before, my own transformation sequence made me self-conscious enough. Drawing a deep breath, I whispered the words.

"Gemini Star Power... Make up!"

It's funny how every time you go through the transformation, a different aspect of it jumps out at you. The first two times, I'd been too obsessed with the change in my body to really notice anything else. The most recent time, I'd noticed the temporal distortion that seems to surround the event. This time, I think, was the first time I really noticed the costume itself as it came into being.

I remember from the series that each Senshi has their own "effect" that surrounds the transformation, something related to their element... and as I really observed my own for the first time, I wondered what it said about me. The fuku did not so much seem to "appear" or "materialize" as it did with the others... instead, it changed, shaping itself along with my new form, seemingly from the same substance as my old clothes, yet once it was done the composition was something far more exotic.

I'd never really noticed before that point the form of my own costume. It was standard Senshi fare, really: a stylized sailor fuku in white trimmed with light blue. The boots were tall, not quite like Sharon's or Stephanie's, but enough that they came up to just below my knees, and the gloves were long, almost up to my elbows. The skirt, as with all such things, seemed impossibly short, but I'd resigned myself to that. At least it wouldn't interfere with my ability to move. On the whole, I have to admit the outfit looked good... and perhaps that was the thing that disturbed me about it most of all.

In a way, it seemed almost beyond my likes and dislikes anyhow... it was, like the body it accompanied, a part of me, and not something I really had any say in. I tried not to think about what that might mean.

Once the change was done, I turned back to the others. They were standing in an open square, with Sharon and Cali extending their hands to me to form the final link.

As I took their hands, Cali explained. "This is easier than it sounds, really. Just concentrate on where we want to go, and let the magic carry you... just like when you first transformed."

I decided not to point out that I'd been drunk when I first transformed; the last thing I needed was to give either Cali or Stephanie more ammunition the next time they wanted to torment me. I closed my eyes, feeling the magic resonate through the link we shared. Then, as the others gave voice to the command, I found the words on my own lips as well.

"Sailor.... TELEPORT!"

*****

We appeared a little closer to the action than I think any of us intended, in the center of the mall's main court. We came in right on top of them, and if surprise is a combat objective, we certainly achieved it. The problem was that we weren't exactly expecting us to pop in some twenty feet off the floor, either. Did I say we appeared right on top of them? Yeah, we did. Literally.

Mind you, a twenty-foot fall isn't much for a Senshi, even when we're not expecting it. Falling in the midst of a horde of green scaly monsters, however, definitely qualifies as a less than optimal situation. Fortunately, Senshi have quick reflexes... at least, most of us do. Sharon... isn't the most coordinated of people, even in her Senshi form, and we'd fallen halfway to the ground before I realized she was going to land badly.

Fortunately again, Senshi have quick reflexes. Already holding her hand, I was somehow able to sweep her up into my arms before we hit. It didn't do wonders for my form upon landing, I'm sure, but as Sailor Gemini I could take a hard fall and hardly notice. Leo and Taurus, not having to worry about anyone but themselves, were already unleashing their attacks even as they hit the ground. With the sonic shockwave to our left and the seismic blast to our right, we created an alley for ourselves in the midst of the enemy.

It bought us just enough time. No sooner had I set Sharon lightly on her feet than the enemy were upon us again. There was no time for anything cute; this was the superpowered version of a knife fight. That suited me just fine; I was equipped for it. "DIVISION BLADE!" I called out, summoning an ethereal broadsword to my hands and hacking at the two monsters who immediately made a grab for us.

I'm not sure how many monsters there were in this place. Whatever they were after, it had to be important... in the past they'd come at us in twos, threes, maybe even fives... but this was a horde of them, and we were surrounded on all sides. For every one that I cut down or that Leo or Taurus blasted, another stepped up in its place. We stood back to back to back, with Sharon in the center trying to shield us as well as she could manage. We were holding our own, but if the odds didn't change soon... well, this wasn't the kind of fight our powers were designed for. I was doing all right, but the energy-wielders in the group needed more space to break out their powerful attacks.

One of these days I'm going to learn to wish for such things sooner rather than later. Almost the very moment that thought crossed my mind, I heard a familiar shout.

"EMBER FLASH!" Sailor Aries shouted from across the court, vaporizing four of the enemy in a burst of sudden flame and leaving a gap in their ranks. Sensing the opening, I motioned to Cali to make a break for it, but she was already moving. Grabbing Sharon's hand, she bolted through the narrow breach to where Aries was waiting. Stefanie followed closely behind, barely squeezing through as the enemy ranks reformed... closing me in.

They had me trapped. Surrounded. All I could see on all sides was a wall of green, scaly, vaguely humanoid creatures with glowing red eyes, long, razor-sharp claws, and long, jagged teeth. There was nowhere for me to run, nothing to hide behind.

Somehow, I wasn't afraid.

I don't know how. I don't know why. The previous fights had certainly scared me enough--once the initial shock wore off, anyway. Maybe it was just the intensity of the situation, that there wasn't time to be afraid. Maybe it was the combat-toughness of Sailor Gemini taking over. Maybe I was just angry because of all the trouble these monsters were causing... but I think it was something else.

In the last fight, in the convention hotel, I'd started to realize something about myself. I'd started to learn how these crazy powers of mine worked, and what I could do with them. I'd even started to figure out my role. So when they closed me in like that, I think that subconsciously I realized something about the battle. By fighting me in close quarters, they'd taken away their main advantage--they couldn't use their energy beams without hitting each other. That brought them down to melee... and if I'd learned anything about my powers by then, it was this.

Melee combat is what I do.

Three of them pounced, catlike, swiping with their claws. I reacted instinctively, leaping high into the air over their attacks. I swung the sword in wide arcs as I came down, severing one's head and slicing another in half; both disintegrated before I hit the ground. I landed facing the third; he slashed out at me with his claws, which I blocked with the sword.

Another attacked me from behind, I felt the attack coming and stepped out of the way. It was automatic, reflexive; if I'd had time to think about it, I could never have done that. Maybe I had been wrong about having to train; it seemed the powers came with training of their own. The sword was getting in my way, so I let it dissipate and fought with my fists.

Another attack came from the rear; each time I turned to face one, there was another behind me eager to plant his claws in my back. I couldn't completely dodge that one, and felt the talons rake across my skin. It didn't hurt as much as it should have--just stung, really, and I could feel the airflow across newly-exposed skin. I countered without looking, a backhand blow that caught the creature in the face and flung it back into the crowd. I didn't look to see if it got up, there were too many still in range to worry with.

One tried to jump on my back then; I spun underneath the attack and caught it with a rising punch that launched it ten feet in the air. The impact must have been enough to kill it, as it came back down in a rain of dust. I grimaced in disgust but kept fighting, finishing two more with a jumping spin kick.

Another claw swipe that got through, this one across my abdomen, told me that I couldn't keep it up forever. They hadn't managed to hurt me badly yet, from what I could tell, but I knew better than to expect that to last. At the same time, I could feel my costume coming apart, and that had me really ticked off. From the drafts I felt, I didn't think I was exposing anything critical yet, but I wasn't thrilled with the idea, either. Weren't these costumes supposed to be indestructible? I needed to make some space, to get back to the others.

Where _were_ the others? I'd lost any sense of direction in the chaos of the melee, so I tried to just dodge attacks and listen for the energy blasts to pick out a direction. Just as I thought I had it, I got the spark of an idea of how to get there. The enemy seemed to like the whole scream-and-leap idea of tactics, so I waited for the scream, then sidestepped the leaper, grabbing by the legs as he went by. Spinning around, I threw him in the direction I was trying to head, bowling over several more of the enemy in the process.

Then I charged.

It was a crazy idea. I fully acknowledge this. One of the perks of being super-strong and largely invulnerable, though, is that sometimes you can do crazy things and make them work. Like any guy my age, I was a football fan... so I just put my head down and did my best imitation of a running back hitting the line. Packed too closely together for any kind of evasion, they fell like dominoes. What I had not counted on was how quickly they would recover, and I found myself in the center of a swarm with no room even to move. I'd almost made it to the edge of the crowd, but not quite... and then I was in trouble.

Fortunately, the other Senshi were fighting as fiercely to get to me as I was to them. As I braced myself for an onslaught I had little hope of surviving, I felt the reassuring warmth as Sharon's shield enveloped me. No more than a second after that, that shield was tested... not by my enemies, but by a barrage of searing heat and crushing stone and by a deafening concussive blast of sound. Senshi magic crashed against the wall of enemies between us; a dozen and more enemies fell in seconds. The sheer force of the assault drove me to my knees, even with the shield to protect me; without such protection, the horde reeled and were driven back.

The others were at my side before the enemy could regroup and mount a counterattack. Sharon knelt beside me, letting the shield drop, and I felt a little of her power flow into me, dulling my pain and giving me the strength to stand again. I turned to face the enemy, intending to charge back into the fray... but there was little left to charge. More than half the enemy force had been obliterated by the massed attacks, and those that were left had broken into smaller clusters. I couldn't see clearly how many were left; a haze of smoke and dust lingered in the air, and a field of broken glass and metal made it difficult to advance.

Aries and Taurus were exchanging fire with the remaining enemies, driving them back toward the cover of the pillars that surrounded the edge of the courtyard. Energy blasts rained in on us from multiple directions now, but the smoke in the air seemed to affect them at least as much as us, as they were not very accurate. With each exchange, the return fire grew a little thinner, but the danger was not yet passed.

"Watch your attacks!" I warned the others. "They're moving to use the support pillars as cover, if you blast them you'll bring down the upper level!" The smoke was starting to clear, and I could see more clearly the damage we had done with our concentrated strike. The area looked like a war zone; the wreckage of several kiosks littered the floor, and water from a smashed fountain spilled out across the broken tiles. Residual fires still burned in a couple of places, where cloth had been ignited by Aries' pyrotechnics, and the floor itself had been shattered by Taurus' detonations. If we applied that kind of force against actual structure... the results could be catastrophic.

"Agreed," Ash answered, sidestepping an energy beam and vaporizing the assailant with her Ember Flash attack. "Something doesn't seem right. They're still too coordinated..."

In that moment, there was a shimmer in the air, a ripple, as though reality itself was pushed momentarily aside... and out of that disortion a dark-clad figure appeared. "Like someone is giving them orders, you might say?" He held up a hand, and the energy blasts stopped. "Very perceptive. I can see how you defeated Fluorite... but you will not fare so well against me."

I clenched my fists, biting back the sarcastic comment before it could escape. Let him talk, I told myself, he might tell us something useful.

He was, of course, a Dark General. That much had been apparent before he had spoken a single word. The superior attitude and the posturing only served to reinforce that conclusion. Even I could sense a difference in this one, though. The distortion had not quite faded, and the haze that had floated in the air seemed to cling to him, swirling about him and obscuring his form. I wasn't really sure what that meant, but it couldn't be good.

Aries, apparently, was not going to wait to find out. "Flame Blaster!" she shouted, unleashing a stream of fire directly at him. The attack detonated spectacularly on impact, showering sparks and flame across the open court, but when the smoke cleared our adversary appeared completely unscathed.

"Well, that was rude," he chided. "I haven't even introduced myself. I am Tanzanite, humble servant of my dread Queen, and I've come to kill you."

He gestured with his hand then, and an invisible bolt of force blasted Sailor Aries off her feet. Thrown across the courtyard by the violence of the impact, she smashed through one of the glass storefronts and into a shelf-covered wall with a frightening crash.

"Aries!" Taurus shouted in horror, looking first back at the scene, and then to Tanzanite. "You... I'll tear you apart! Blast Wave!" The floor exploded beneath Tanzanite's feet, showering him with shards of concrete, and yet he did not even flinch.

"If that is the best you have, I shall be most disappointed," the Dark General answered. "Please don't waste my time with such a pitiful effort." Thrusting his hand out toward Taurus, he struck her with a wave of power that rippled the air in its path. She put her arms up to block, but to no avail as she was thrown back. The attack slammed her up against one of the pillars that supported the upper level, and she slumped to the floor bonelessly.

This was getting bad, and quickly. Aries was climbing out of the wreckage of the storefront, but from her tentative movements it was clear she was still in a lot of pain. Taurus wasn't moving at all. I looked to Leo and Cancer, at the horror that showed on their faces. The sheer violence of his attack was overwhelming us already... we had to take back the initiative somehow.

Deciding that fell to me, I gathered all the power I could and charged at him. He turned to me, still with that arrogant smirk, and I could feel my rage build. I'd wipe that smug expression off his face with one punch, I thought, throwing all the power I'd gathered behind my

right fist...

...and I struck a solid, immovable wall about two inches from his face. In that moment, I understood; the haze that seemed to gather around him was a forcefield, the same kind of energy he was throwing at us with his attacks. This was Tanzanite's power, his impregnable defense and his brutal attack. If there was just some way to penetrate it...

The moment passed, and in the next I paid the price for that piece of knowledge. He smiled; I could swear he was laughing, but the howl of the air around me as his force bolt struck me drowned out any sound. Every muscle, every bone, every nerve in my body screamed in pain, and so did I, as an invisible hammer of force pounded me into the ruined floor. Splinters of glass and rock dug into my flesh, and while they did not penetrate it, my seeming invulnerability did not lessen the pain.

I struggled to regain my feet, to recover some form of defense, but he never gave me the chance. The second force bolt struck me while I was still on my knees, flinging me head-first through a stone wall. Lances of pain shot down my spine, and then everything seemed to blur. My vision dimmed... and everything went black.

It could not have been more than a few seconds later when I recovered consciousness. Dragging myself back to my feet, I tried to take stock of my situation. My costume was in tatters, a condition I would later come to regret, but in that moment I was too angry and too hurt to really care. Every part of me ached or stung, but my flesh was unpierced and I could still stand to fight. I turned back toward the battle zone, only to find myself facing a wall of the green scaly guys we'd become so familiar with. I shook my head to clear the mental haze and forced down the protests of my battered body... there was no time for pain; we were fighting for our lives.

Once again, the words came to my mind in exactly the right moment, and I drew in as much power as I dared as the enemy closed in around me. Then, at the last possible moment, I let that power loose.

"Aura Burst!"

The shockwave of blue energy erupted from my body in all directions, smashing as easily through the monsters before me as it did through the wall behind. They disintegrated before they even hit the ground, and I found my way clear. Stepping back out into the battle arena that the mall courtyard had become, I tried to take stock of the situation.

Leo was holding her ground, somehow, even as Tanzanite tried to pummel her with his force bolts. Powerful claps of thunder shook the walls and floor around me, and I realized she was using her sonic power to counter the force of his attack. Still, I knew from experience with our powers that she could not keep that up forever... and Tanzanite showed no signs of tiring.

Aries had rejoined the battle as well, but she was more than busy keeping the green-and-scalies from mobbing Leo. Her flames ravaged any that dared approach, but it was all she could do to maintain a defense.

Cancer was kneeling beside the fallen Taurus, who seemed to still be unconscious. No... she was moving, just a little. That at least was encouraging, though after the shot she had taken I was not sure she would be in any condition to fight. Even if she did, her attack had been shrugged off by Tanzanite before.

We were in trouble.

My mind raced to come up with a tactic, an approach that might be able to penetrate Tanzanite's defense. None of my attacks were going to scratch him, though with my newly-discovered ability I had a better defense against his assault than before. Leo was hard-pressed to hold him off. Maybe Taurus or Aries had another trick up their sleeve I hadn't seen yet, but other than that...

I had an idea. Moving to Leo's side, I told her, "Let me defend his next attack. When I do, I want you to hit him with everything you've got." She looked at me questioningly--and a little fearfully--for a moment, then a certain determination overtook her and she nodded.

She had barely turned to face him again when the next force bolt bore down on us. After seeing a couple of those attacks, though, I had learned how to read it; just as the blast was about to strike, I unleashed my aura burst. The two powers detonated spectacularly when they met, shattering the floor before us and raining debris all around, but vertically dispersing the force of the attack, and providing our opportunity.

"SONIC FANG!" Leo shouted, locking her hands together with first fingers pointed at Tanzanite. I did not so much see the attack as feel it, a piercing shriek that seemed to rip the air open between them, Even off to one side, it set my teeth on edge, and the world seemed to reel around me as the aural assault disrupted my equilibrium.

For a moment, the haze around Tanzanite seemed to thicken, then for another instant it was gone entirely. He screeched in pain, clutching at his chest where the piercing wave had struck him. He staggered, and nearly fell from where he hovered before us. Then, as suddenly as it had gone, his forcefield snapped back into place, and he regarded us with a vicious smile.

"You actually managed to hurt me; I will give you that. As a reward, I shall make your end a quick one."

"No, it's over," an unfamiliar voice sounded from above and behind me. I turned, and standing on the railing of the upper level was a tall, thin figure in a tuxedo and a mask. In his hand, he held a single rose.

I stared. It could not be, I told myself. It _could not be_. I was the man of this group, there was no room for a rose-throwing bishounen here!

Even so, there he was... and what did that say about ME?

Before I could dwell on that thought, his words brought me back to the battle at hand. "You have done enough damage here, villain. This battle ends now."

Tanzanite's eyes went wide with shock and fury. "YOU! I'll--" he started to shout, then cut off abruptly as the rose was thrown. He screamed in that moment, and the swirling haze went still. A flare of light shone from the point of contact, silver cracks gleamed brightly in his barrier... and then it shattered like crystal dropped on a stone floor. "NO!" he screamed. "No, you can't!"

The tuxedo-clad mystery boy cut him off. "Sailor Aries, use your fire attack!"

Aries wasted no time following that instruction. "Flame Blaster!" she cried out, unleashing a stream of fire at the wounded, staggered Dark General. It struck him square in the chest, where the rose still stuck out from his tunic.

Tanzanite screamed again, a horrible sound of agony, as he burst into flame. Instants later, he was gone, leaving only a pile of ash on the floor below... and a silvery metallic rose.

I stared in shock. I was not the only one. While the rest of us looked on, Tux-boy jumped down from the railing, landing with impossible lightness on his feet next to Tanzanite's remains. He picked up the rose, tucking it in his pocket, and turned to Sailor Aries.

"Well done, Sailor Aries!" He smiled at her, and I could feel the resentment brewing in me already. What had Aries done that the rest of us hadn't? Used an attack the enemy had already demonstrated he could shrug off? I could not help but think there was something more going on than I could see. Something did not add up.

I pushed that thought down. He had just helped us, after all. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt for that. Still... who WAS this guy? I was about to ask, but his next move froze the words on my lips.

He took Aries' gloved hand, leaned forward, and kissed it. "Just as I would expect, from the Captain of the Senshi," he told her. For a moment, there was a stunned silence that fell over us all... then he stepped back, and spoke again. "Remember, in your darkest hour, look for me... I will be there." With that, he jumped back up over the railing, and as abruptly as he had arrived, he was gone.

Taurus spoke first. "Who the hell was that?"

Aries shrugged and smiled, and I wondered to myself if that was the first time I'd ever seen her look happy. "Who else could it have been, but Tuxedo Kamen?"

If I'd bitten my lip any harder in that moment, it would have bled. Senshi invulnerability, or no.

* * *

End Episode Five

-----

Next Episode: As if the appearance of Tux-boy wasn't enough for me to worry about, I have to go back to my job. Worse than that, I have to face my friends... can I even look them in the eye after all of this? Of course, there's another Senshi coming, too... wait, this one wears her glasses with her costume? What kind of anime IS this, anyway? Next episode, Innocence and Experience! And you thought being surrounded by beautiful girls would be fun.


End file.
